The Continuing Saga
by Luna12
Summary: After the manga the drama continues. Akane falls deathly ill. Matters grow complicated as a sinister creature is unleashed in Nerima. Meanwhile, Ukyo is pulling out all stops to woo Ranma. Ranma & Akane Story Arcs 1,2,3 COMPLETE
1. Rain & Cats Don't Mix

_Disclaimer: __All rights and privileges to Ranma ½ belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Viz Communications, Inc., and associated parties. The characters of her series are used without her permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit. _

**Story Arc 1: "Byouki"  
Part 1: Rain and Cats Don't Mix**

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**_A/N: I'm experimenting by having my entire story grouped together by story arcs. I hope it isn't too confusing. I figured this would be easier than having separate stories and listing them as "sequels". I have three story arcs planned thus far. Enjoy.  
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"Gee Akane, you look like a half drowned mess!"

Akane glared at Ranma, not at all happy with herself or him at the moment. Her classmates stared at her disheveled appearance as she made her way to her seat. Each uncomfortable step made an unpleasant "squish" sound. Her clothes were soaked through, sticking to her frame like a second skin. Her plum jacket was equally wet, forming a rather large trail of water on the school floor. Her short, wet hair lay flat and plastered to her head.

"I wouldn't -- (sneeze) -- be in this mess if a certain -- (sneeze) -- cat-fearing jerk hadn't run off with my -- (sneeze) -- umbrella!" she yelled at him between sneezes.

Ranma was about to defend himself when he caught her shivering. Guilt turned his tongue into clay. He knew she was right.

The day had begun normally enough. After breakfast, they started off walking to school together, with Ranma actually walking beside Akane instead of on the fence. Ever since the failed wedding, small things between the forcibly engaged couple had changed. Nothing dramatic, of course. Akane and Ranma still argued and bickered; Ranma was still chased around by other women; Akane was still fighting off the insane attentions of Tatewaki Kuno. Yet as much as things had stayed the same, there were subtle but significant differences. Akane was making visible efforts to not lose her temper – as badly – as she used to with Ranma. She would smack him relatively light if she was upset, instead of sending him through the door and into the koi pond. Even Ranma was trying harder not to bait Akane's temper. Their near-death experiences at Jusenkyo had forced the high schoolers to mature a bit.

Less than five minutes after Akane and Ranma left the Tendo household, they were caught in one of the icy downpours autumn inevitably brought. Thankfully, Akane had brought her umbrella which they proceeded to share -- until Shampoo intercepted them. The purple-haired Amazon clung to her 'Airen' in a death-grip, insisting Ranma go on a date with her that instant and share _her_ umbrella.

In the mayhem of Ranma trying to wiggle free from Shampoo while remain dry himself, Shampoo lost grip of her umbrella and transformed into the most terrifying beast imaginable –- a cat. In his panicked state, Ranma pushed aside all obstacles to his path of retreat: literally. Akane found herself knocked into a puddle by her ailurophobe fiancée, umbrella clenched in his fist as he made a beeline for Furinkan High School.

Ranma remembered the events of the morning shamefacedly. "You should go change. The sensei is late, so you have time."

Akane looked at the clock worriedly, but nodded her agreement. She was surprised the sensei wasn't here already. He was usually very prompt.

Akane was at the door when the last person she wanted to see entered --- principal Kuno.

"An' where do you think you goin'?" he asked her.

Akane sighed. This day was just getting worse and worse. "Principal, I need to change my clothes. I'm soaking wet."

"You is?" he looked at her puzzled, as if noticing for the first time the puddle of water that was accumulating at her feet. Like father like son, Principal Kuno was equally clueless in life. "You shoulda ben mo' responsible. Change af'da class. Now is da lesson time."

Akane looked angry, but wasn't in the mood to push the issue with the lunatic principal. She knew she could probably get the sensei to excuse her anyway. "Where is the sensei?" she asked.

"Sensei sick, so I be da sensei today."

The class muttered loudly in protest. Akane grudgingly returned to her seat, cursing the bad luck of the day.

Class progressed, and Akane was feeling more and more miserable with every passing second. Ranma kept stealing glances at her, and he began to worry as he watched Akane continue to shiver and grow pale.

Enough was enough. Ranma stood up, interrupting the lesson. "Just let Akane leave and get changed. She's freezing in those clothes." He announced.

Akane stared at Ranma in surprise as the class murmured loudly. Many raised their voices in agreement. 'Yeah!' and 'hear-hear!' could clearly be heard from some of the boulder students. In addition, audible comments of "See? He really _must_ love her" floated around, making Ranma blush and correct his telling statement.

"Uh, well… her shivering and stupid teeth chattering are drowning out your lesson." He lamely excused.

The principal's tan face slowly turned red. "I'se da big kahuna, not you, brudda. So sit an' be quiet!"

Ranma's concern smoldered into anger. "I don't care if you are the 'big kahuna'. You're a thoughtless principal for -- !"

Principal Kunou slammed his fist hard on the desk. "You wan' mix it up wit' da principal? Fine. New rule: evahbody -- sistahs an' brudda's – gotta get dem buzz cuts if yo' wahine leaves ta change before class over." He held the hair-razor in his left hand for emphasis.

"What?!" shouted Ranma, in unison with his classmates. They knew it was no idle threat; Principal Kunou was serious. He had tried something similar before, and they had barely managed to keep their precious locks.

Though clueless, the principal could also be crafty. As he planned, the students who moments before were on Ranma's side were now clearly turned against him. Everyone stared daggers at Ranma, and others yelled at him to sit down and shut up.

Akane's face fell. "Just great." She thought to herself. She could see Ranma's fist bunching up. If the principal kept pushing him, they'd come to blows, regardless of how the rest of his classmates might fare.

Akane put her hand on Ranma's shoulders, coaxing him to return to his seat. Her fingers were ice cold. "Sit down before you make things worse!" she urged him, half annoyed but also half touched by his actions.

Ranma listened reluctantly, but kept a fretful watch on Akane when he thought she wasn't looking. His hatred for the principal increased with every shiver and sneeze Akane made.

Eventually the class ended. Akane gladly sped off to change into drier clothes. Gratefully, it was Saturday, (A/N: School in Japan is a half-day on Saturday), meaning classes were done for the day.

Though finally in dry clothes, Akane still felt chilled to the bone. She stubbornly tried to ignore her throbbing temple. "Stupid rain, stupid Shampoo, stupid principal and stupid, stupid Ranma!" she vented aloud. She stepped out of the girl's dressing room in ill humor, only to find said Ranma leaning against the wall, waiting for her.

Akane's heart thudded loudly in her chest at the sight of him. In typical Ranma fashion, he was trying to hide his concern for her, but over two years of living together in the same household had taught Akane to see past some of his social shields. The tight set of his jaw and apprehension in his eyes betrayed his otherwise relaxed figure.

'He's worrying about me. Does it mean he actually does care about me?' she asked herself, heart pounding.

After the fiasco of the infamous failed wedding, their parents had eased back on pressuring and setting up their children to get married. Perhaps Soun and Genma were too tired to deal with it any further, or at least too wary of inviting the predictable disaster that arose whenever they forced and plotted romance between Akane and Ranma. Granted, Soun still yelled at Ranma if he caught him around a girl other than his daughter, and occasionally Genma lectured Ranma to behave like a man and carry on the Anything Goes Martial Arts -- namely by marrying Akane, the heir to the dojo -- but overall Ranma and Akane had been left unmolested for over three months. With the imminent threat of marriage no longer looming as closely over their heads, an unspoken agreement that their relationship was free to develop was established. They had willingly spent more casual time together, knowing that excursions to the ice cream shop or the movies would not result in embarrassing dancing and singing of joy by their parents, or worse yet, wedding bells.

Ranma scanned Akane quickly with his eyes. The warm clothes had not returned her usual warm glow and complexion. His eyes crinkled in concern.

"You waited for me?" Akane asked. The smallest hint of hope mingled with disbelief in her voice.

"Yeah, well… might as well walk home together, right?" he answered as nonchalantly as possible.

Akane smiled sincerely at him, "Thanks Ranma."

Ranma's own heart skipped a beat, the usual effect of her cute smile on him.

"N-No problem." He replied, trying to push his emotions aside. She really was cute when she smiled.

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If Akane could read Ranma better than most, he could also do the same with her. The slight change in her gait was one sign, but more noticeable was her lack of energy. Akane was generally an upbeat, genki girl. It was that energy that fueled her love of sports and martial arts, as well as her temper. Yet now each stride seemed labored; there was no bounce to her step. Occasionally she ran her hand over her forehead, as if trying to clear away a headache. She did this only when she thought Ranma wasn't looking, but he noticed.

The walk was held in unusual silence. Partly because Akane felt too miserable to attempt small talk and also because Ranma was too busy internally wrestling his anger, worry and guilt.

Anger was currently winning, breaking the silence. "That principal! If he ever tries something like that again -- no one, not even you, is gonna keep me from --" He stopped abruptly as he realized his companion wasn't listening, but was several steps behind leaning against the fence. One hand held her head in evident discomfort.

He walked toward her. "Akane? You alright?" The expression in his eyes spoke volumes.

"Y-yeah, I think so." Akane tried to muster a smile to relieve him. The result was less than convincing. "My head's pounding, but I'm okay."

Ranma gave her a dubious look.

"No, really!" she protested and resumed walking. She barely made three paces before she swayed, feeling dizzy and unsteady. Instantly a gentle but firm hand caught her arm.

Akane's eyes were closed tightly as she tried to ignore the dizzy pound of her head.

"If you're not feeling well, just tell me. You _can_ let down that tough-macho-chick act every now and again. It wouldn't kill you!"

Akane was incensed at the remark, but tried her best to ignore the usual litany of insults Ranma threw at her. "I'll be fine once I'm home. I'm probably just coming down with a cold."

Ranma felt frustrated. She could be so stubborn! Almost as stubborn as himself.

"Sheesh Akane. If I left it up to you, you'd hardly take care of yourself. Let's head over to Tofu's."

Akane glared at him. "At least I'm not as bad as you! Half the time I'm the one who has to drag your unconscious carcass to Tofu sensei!"

The outburst brought spots to her eyes and the throbbing in her temple to increase. She swayed slightly, and Ranma noticed.

"Dummy! You can't even stand straight. I don't care if I have to carry you -- you're going to Tofu's!"

Ranma continued to hold her arm and half guided, half dragged the unsteady girl there.

They entered the clinic and Ranma let go of Akane's arm.

"Sensei! Hey sensei! I got one of the Tendo daughters -- the stubborn, uncute, tomboy one -- who needs to see you!" he called out, but there was no response. Ranma walked toward the inner office to search for him.

Akane hardly paid heed to the name-calling. The room was swirling around and she felt unbalanced. She had felt chilled most of the day, but now the room felt suffocatingly warm. She was vaguely aware of calling Ranma's name before the world went black.

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**A/N: Please REVIEW. This is my 1st Ranma fanfic! I'm happy to take all comments -- negative & positive! :-)**


	2. Misunderstandings

**Story Arc 1: "Byouki"  
Part 2: Misunderstandings**

Akane's eyes opened slowly as she took in her new surroundings. A cold cloth cooled her burning head, and her eyes were met by a familiar pair of concerned blue ones.

"Ranma?" she asked.

Ranma sighed a breath of relief. "Finally, you're awake. What's the big deal, worrying me like that?!" His voice was rising in anger, a safer emotion to show than his concern.

Akane rose to the bait. "I didn't plan on passing out, you know!"

"Now Ranma, let's not rile up our patient." Akane turned her head to see Dr. Tofu standing in the doorway.

"So what's the deal?" Ranma asked.

"Nothing too serious. Just a bad head cold. The only thing of concern was her high fever, but I've administered a fever suppressant, so it should go down within the hour." He looked sternly at Akane for a moment. "But I want you to get some bed rest, understood?" Akane nodded. Tofu turned to the side and gave Akane a wink. "Don't worry; you'll be up and about pounding Ranma in the head in no time." Akane blushed.

Dr. Tofu then turned to look at Ranma. "Take care of her, will you? She thinks she's as invincible as you are, and just as wrong as _you_ in that regard." Ranma bristled but nodded. Dr. Tofu smiled and left the room.

"Feel well enough to go home?" Ranma asked.

Akane nodded, although inwardly she doubted her ability to stand firmly on two feet. She swung her legs off the bed and tried to stand. Again she swayed and Ranma caught her.

Without a moment's hesitation, he scooped her up into his arms.

"Ranma, what are you doing?" Akane protested, though not as strongly as she normally would have.

"Sheesh. Would ya just relax, Akane? You're in no shape to walk yourself."

Akane felt touched -- even hopeful -- from his uncharacteristic display of care. She was dizzy and feverish, and though she would never admit it, she was glad to accept his chivalry.

Outside the clinic, Akane spoke. Her voice was small and quiet, "Sorry about all the trouble I'm causing you…"

Ranma shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Besides, I uh, feel partly to blame and all, for this morning."

There was no reply. Ranma looked down to notice that Akane was asleep in his arms. Her pale complexion contrasted sharply with her fever blushed cheeks, but she was still the cute Akane he knew and… He shook his head, trying to rid himself of his thoughts.

Walking back from Tofu sensei's reminded him of the early days when they first met. Tofu wanted to prove to him that Akane really was a sweet kid beneath her tomboy exterior, so he had purposely hit a pressure point on Ranma, leaving the martial artist temporarily unable to use his legs. Akane instantly offered to carry Ranma back home, without complaint. He had protested, claiming it would be too embarrassing for a boy to be carried by a girl. She simply splashed him with cold water and proceeded to carry him home anyway. She never once complained.

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Ranma took off his shoes, dispensing with the formality of calling "tadaima" as he entered so as not to wake his sleeping bundle.

He was surprised to find the house oddly quiet and inactive, until he remembered the morning's breakfast conversation. Kasumi was leaving for the weekend to attend a friend's wedding in Kyoto, leaving the household without a cook. Knowing full well that Akane would volunteer, Soun and Genma had entered an out-of-town Gon tournament in advance. Even Nabiki made sure to find some excuse to leave the house, teasing Ranma and Akane with comments such as "I should leave you two lovebirds alone, neh?"

"Well, there's one blessing out of the events from today," he thought guiltily to himself, "Akane won't be feeling well enough to cook!"

Ranma walked into Akane's room and gently tucked the girl into bed. She barely stirred as he set her down.

Ranma left her room, the door making a soft click behind him. The noise seemed unnaturally loud to his ears in the quiet residence. He had become accustomed to the sounds of the Tendo house that was now his home. The smell of Kasumi's cooking, the light arguments their fathers had over a game of Gon or Shogi, the shutter click of Nabiki's profit mongering camera shots –- all were gone, leaving the house empty and hollow. Now, even Nodoka was out of the house. Ranma's mother had moved back into her repaired home a week ago, but it had been agreed that Ranma was best off remaining in the Tendo household so he could learn to get along with his iinazuke.

Feeling restless in the unnatural quiet, Ranma went to the dojo to let loose some energy, and afterwards took a bath. For once, he didn't have to worry about walking in on Akane.

'You'd think I could stop thinking about that tomboy for one second…' he thought to himself. Deep inside he knew the real reason why he kept thinking about her, and it terrified him in a way far different than cats.

Pushing aside such thoughts, he decided to check on her. 'Just as a friend…' he kept telling himself, although his heart knew better.

The rain had resumed, preventing his usual method of checking on Akane through the window. Not wanting to wake her if she was still asleep, he tentatively poked his head through the door. The floor boards creaked, betraying his presence. Akane, although normally a sound sleeper, awoke at the sound. She opened her eyes and turned to look at Ranma.

"You can come in, you know," she offered.

Ranma entered the room and pulled Akane's desk chair over to the side of her bed.

Ranma felt sheepish. "Uh, did I wake you?"

Akane shook her head. "Not really. I was half awake when I heard the door creak."

Ranma, who still felt sheepish but not as much, replied with an "Oh."

The room grew quiet until Ranma gained the courage to speak. "So, how're ya feeling?" He looked her over carefully with his eyes. Her coloring was back to normal, and she had fully sat up to greet him.

Akane smiled warmly at him, (the second time that day!). "Much better. I'm no longer freezing."

Instinctively, Ranma leaned over and placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature.

Akane was surprised by his tender behavior and sudden closeness. She blushed and her heart began racing.

The light scent of Akane's lavender shampoo filled his senses. Ranma realized they were only inches apart as he leaned over her. His cheeks flushed and he jumped back as if scalded, his heart thudded loudly in his chest.

"Uhm you, uh, don't have a fever anymore, Akane." He stammered as he sat back down.

Akane nodded, her heart pounding equally as hard.

Ranma looked like he wanted to bolt from the chair and flee. An awkward silence stretched in the room. Akane did not want to lose the tender moment. There was no family around to pressure or black-mail them, no fiancées hanging over him -- if she didn't act soon a monster, demon or magical prince would charge in to ruin the day, as usual.

She smiled mischievously at him. "Want to play?" she asked.

"Huh?" he responded, clueless.

Akane waved a hand to point at one of her shelves.

Ranma followed her gesture. "I've uh, never actually played that before."

Akane grinned mischievously. "It wouldn't be fair to play you then. Even after I'd teach you, you couldn't beat me."

Ranma smiled in turn. He knew full well that his fiancée was baiting him. "Is that a challenge?" he asked.

"You bet!"

Intense battle raged between red and black as Ranma and Akane played checkers. Ranma lost the first four games in a row, growing more and more frustrated. By the fifth game, with some coaching by Akane, Ranma was finally learning the subtle strategies required and was holding his own.

In the end, Akane still won, but it was a close match. Ranma felt slightly ticked that he didn't win, but he was determined to change that. "Heh. Just you wait. Next time, _I'll_ be the one winning!"

"Oh yeah?" Akane goaded.

"Yeah!"

Akane laughed. Ranma's stomach growled loudly, interrupting the debate.

Ranma had his hand behind his head in his usual bashful gesture. "So, guess we should eat, huh?"

Akane nodded and started to rise out of the bed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ranma asked, acutely aware that Akane should stay and rest.

"Well, with Kasumi gone, I'll just have to cook."

"NO!!!" Ranma shouted in panic, a little too quickly and emphatically. Akane gave him a death glare, knowing the cracks on her cooking were about to come. Ranma saw her fists clench in preparation.

"I mean, you haven't been feeling well. What kinda guy lets a sick girl cook for him?" Ranma back-pedaled as fast as he could. _And eating your cooking will make us _all_ deathly ill_, he thought to himself.

Akane took a deep breath and calmed down. She knew better than to buy into his explanation, but she decided to be satisfied that he had not _directly_ insulted her culinary efforts.

"I'll just order some take-out," Ranma offered.

Akane looked a little worried at that remark. "With what money? We're both broke –- and in debt."

Ranma's face faulted. She was right. Nabiki's last photo-blackmail had left them without a yen to their name.

Ranma knew his next few words would put him on treacherous ground, but he was a Saotome -- and matters of the stomach often came before common sense. "Well, I could call Ucchan…" he offered.

Akane did not look happy at that suggestion, and glared at Ranma.

"…or not." Ranma continued.

He thought some more. "Or Shampoo…"

That brought Akane's temper out fully. "After what she did today?!"

Ranma felt trapped in a no-win situation. "You gotta point, but we still need to eat, Akane."

Akane sighed. "I don't want to deal with them in _my house …_," -- 'disgracefully throwing themselves at Ranma, no less' she thought to herself.

Ranma's stomach growled again.

Akane sighed, feeling torn. "Go into town and eat, Ranma. Just don't make me any worse of a laughing stock, okay?"

Ranma felt confused. "Huh? What? Why would I?"

Akane shook her head, sadly not that surprised she had to spell it out for Ranma. "People in town are already saying you left me at the altar, among other insulting things. I don't want to hear how you gladly leave me to run into the arms of other girls. I have a limit on how much public humiliation I can take, you know!"

Ranma stuttered a reply, "But, you know it's not like that, that it wasn't like that, right?"

Akane's eyes were downcast as she stared intently at a stitch on her comforter, avoiding Ranma's face. "Maybe. But it doesn't change the stupid rumors and taunts I get. And then you never do anything but encourage them…"

Watching Akane avoid his face, her expression a cloud of gloom, deeply unsettled him. "Hey, look at me, will ya?"

Akane refused and turned her face further away from him. She didn't want him to see the tears burning her eyes. Didn't he understand how insulting it was whenever he ran off to see his other fiancées? Didn't he realize how much she cared for him at this point? But he had denied it at the failed wedding, and if he knew how she felt, he'd never stop making fun of her. "Go get your free food already!" she shouted, wanting him to leave and stay at the same time.

Ranma felt frustrated and confused. "FINE!" he shouted back and slammed the door on his way out.

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**A/N: Please REVIEW. This is my 1st Ranma fanfic! I'll even happy to get negative comments! :-)**


	3. Too Good to be True

**Story Arc 1: "Byouki"  
Part 3: Too Good to be True  
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_AN: a scene description is reverently paraphrased with all due respect to Vince in his amazing "Taming of the Horse".  
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Ranma mulled on Akane's words as he walked. She did have some points. The town gossiping about them was nothing new, but he felt angry that they were specifically targeting Akane. He got crude cracks from the guys at school about his curse, or the number of fiancées he had, but nothing that was directly insulting. He had heard some of the girls poke fun at Akane on being "dumped" at her wedding, but he never thought about how much that would hurt her feelings until now. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he was making the gossip worse for her.

'Not that I asked to be engaged to 3 different girls!' he thought huffily.

As upset as he was, he failed to notice Shampoo approaching him on her bike.

"Airen!" she cried, jumping off her bike and groping him. Ranma was _really_ not in the mood tonight. "Shampoo, get offa me!" he yelled, forcibly prying her hands way from him.

Shampoo could tell her "husband" was upset. "Ranma still mad about rain and cat today?"

Ranma signed. "Yes, Shampoo. I'm hungry, I'm upset, and Akane's not feeling well right now. So leave me alone, okay?"

"Ugly, violent tomboy sick?" Shampoo asked.

For some reason, this time hearing Shampoo slur Akane struck a nerve. "I don't want to hear ya insult Akane, Shampoo. And yes; she has a cold."

He continued walking toward Ucchan's, hoping Shampoo would take the hint and leave him alone for once.

Wheels were frantically turning in the Amazon's head. Tactics and attitude suddenly shifted. Shampoo bowed to Ranma apologetically. "Shampoo sorry about morning. Make up to husband with nice dinner, okay?"

Ranma sighed, but his stomach answered for him.

"Alright…"

"Will even make soup for ugl—uh, Akane."

Ranma smiled. Things were looking up.

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Ranma knocked on Akane's door, his feelings a jumbled mixture of content and apprehension. He always felt comfortable after having a hearty meal in his stomach, and Shampoo didn't even grope him while he ate in the Nekohanten. She claimed she was too busy in the kitchen to even join him for the meal. The source of his apprehension came from Akane. He knew he needed to be upfront with her. He also knew Akane would take the news that he spent the evening with Shampoo badly, but it would be better if she heard it from him rather than the town gossips.

"What is it?," came the muffled response through the door. It didn't sound angry, as he expected it to, but instead strained and melancholy.

"I brought some food back for ya," he answered uneasily through the door.

Slowly the door opened. Akane stood there in her yellow pajamas, looking much better than she did earlier in the day – except for her eyes. They were slightly red and wavered with freshly shed tears.

Ranma's heart thudded loudly in his chest. He hated it when girls cried. It always made him feel useless and awkward. It was even worse when it was Akane who cried – especially when it was over him.

He clutched the to-go container of hot soup and held it out to her as a peace offering.

"You okay?" he asked cautiously.

Akane put on a fake smile and opened the door wide enough to let him enter. "Of course. It's just a cold."

They both knew he hadn't been asking about her cold, but he let it go.

Akane sat at her desk and unwrapped the soup. "Thanks, Ranma."

"I couldn't let ya starve, could I?" was his reply.

"So, where did you get it?" The question was barbed.

Ranma gulped. He knew this was coming. "Look Akane, I went to the Nekohanten but NOTHING happened. You got to believe me. I mean, Shampoo tried at first, but I made her back off. Are you still gonna be mad at me?"

Akane looked at Ranma and the soup disapprovingly, but then shook her head and relaxed. "It's not worth fighting over. I believe you."

They talked casually as Akane finished her soup, the tension from before vanishing as all was forgiven.

Akane shivered in her seat, and Ranma noticed that she was looking pale again, even though her coloring had perked up when he first entered.

Akane closed her eyes to keep the room from spinning too wildly. 'Stupid cold' she thought to herself. She noticed Ranma looking at her worriedly.

"I think I'm going to turn in early, Ranma."

Ranma rubbed the back of his head with his hand, feeling out of place. "Good idea. Uh, feel better, will ya?"

He walked toward the door and left the room, glad to catch Akane smiling weakly at him before she fell asleep.

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Sunday morning came to an eerily quiet Tendo household. With Genma away, Ranma wasn't brusquely awoken to train and spar with his dad. With Kasumi gone, the house was without the pleasant sounds of the kitchen and the aroma of breakfast being served.

Ranma went to the kitchen and fixed himself a simple breakfast of tea and leftovers from the fridge. The world felt off as he sat at the table by himself. It wasn't just the lack of commotion or absence of the entire Tendo family. It was the absence of the person who always sat next to him for meals. He looked at the clock on the wall. It was already past ten in the morning -- late by his and Akane's standards -- and he hadn't heard a peep from her room. Could she still be sleeping?

Ranma knocked on the door gently before pushing it open. "Akane?"

Ranma's hair stood on end. He could sense that something was wrong. He opened the door fully and stepped in, and hoped Akane wouldn't smack him barging in like this.

"You awake?" he asked softly then stopped as he saw her. Akane's eyes were closed, but her face was furrowed in discomfort as she shivered and moaned quietly.

Ranma went to her bedside, concerned. "Akane, can you hear me?" he asked as he placed his hand on her forehead. She was burning up. It wasn't even that warm when he first brought her to Tofu's. He didn't understand. She had been feeling so much better yesterday, but now she was looking more ill than the day before. Akane's face was as white as a porcelain doll and looking equally fragile. It was nothing how Akane normally looked. Her tomboyish and athletic pursuits kept her complexion rosy, her figure solid and strong.

Ranma left the room quickly and fetched a bowl of ice and a small hand towel. He wrapped the ice in the towel and applied it to her forehead, careful to avoid too much contact with the melting ice water on his own person.

He felt unnerved by Akane's vulnerable appearance. There was only one other time he remembered seeing her this way. He shuddered involuntarily as memories of Jusenkyo flooded his mind …

_He sat on a ledge of tortured stone by enchanted waters in a smashed cavern, holding a young woman clad only in his shirt. She lay limp and unbreathing in his arms. Part of him realized that she was dead, and the other half vainly tried to believe otherwise. He knew that he had been able to save her, and had failed utterly. His tears fell on her face, and he screamed her name: "AKANE!!"_

He shook his head fiercely, clearing the remembrance out of his mind. He never wanted to relive that again. Those were memories he would rather forget.

Akane grew more fitful, murmuring indistinctively. It was obvious that she was in the midst of a bad fever dream. She started to call out in her sleep, "No…yamete… Ranma, watch out! … Nigete!…"

"Akane. Akane, wake up." He shook her shoulders gently, trying to end her nightmare.

Akane's eyes opened wide, dilated with fever. She recognized his face instantly and took a deep breath of relief. "It … was a dream ... sort of…" she squeezed Ranma's hand, surprising the boy. "Don't you ever worry me like that again!" she scolded, her voice still weak but firm.

Ranma was confused. _He_ was worrying her, now of all times? "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Akane was already falling back asleep. "In Jusenkyo… I thought I'd lost you…" her eyes closed, exhausted.

Ranma stared dumbly at Akane. It was strange that she was also thinking of that time. And of all things, her recollection of the events had her worried about him. Akane had saved Ranma from Saffron, nearly killing herself in the process. Yet her nightmare had nothing to do with reliving her own ordeal, but the near death experience Ranma had.

"Dummy," he whispered to her peacefully sleeping form without any malice. But he was still confused. Only hours before, she was playing checkers and laughing with him. Now she was worse than when he first brought her to Tofu-sensei.

Ranma was still holding her hand from when she squeezed his, and through their contact he felt her shiver. He grabbed an extra blanket from the closet and gently placed it over her. He recognized the print. It was the same blanket Akane had used to keep him warm not so long ago. Less than a year before, he, the "unbeatable" Saotome Ranma, was horribly ill from catching Happosei's flu. Akane had tenderly taken care of him, painstakingly hiding him from his mother, (and imminent seppuku), while trying to bring down his fever. He never did thank her for that, he realized.

Time ticked by slowly with no improvement on Akane's condition. The only change, if any, was that Akane was growing worse. Her breathing was labored and the fever was still climbing, despite Ranma's best efforts. Unconscious, Akane's face scrunched in anguish as she moaned softly.

She was in obvious pain, suffering right before him and nothing he was doing seemed to help. Ranma left Akane's room and called Tofu sensei. He was suddenly very glad Kasumi wasn't in the house. He wanted the doctor to work his practice accurately.

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Tofu existed Akane's room looking very grave.

Ranma was waiting for him. "She'll be okay soon, right sensei?"

Concern etched every line on Ranma's face. Tofu wished Akane could see him. It was times like these when it was obvious that the two stubborn young people were in love, but they were too insecure and too prideful to normally show it. The pressure placed on them by their families and rival fiancées only made it worse.

"I've done my best, Ranma, but she's not responding to treatment. She's taken an unusual turn for the worse. It's almost as if she's… well, the blood test will tell me what I need to know." Tofu put a concerned hand on Ranma's slumped shoulder.

"Can you contact Tendo Soun and the rest of her family? They might want to come back sooner than planned."

Ranma's face paled. Was Tofu saying that Akane was…

Tofu saw the panic in Ranma's eyes and tried to reassure him without sugarcoating the truth. "Her condition is _serious_ Ranma, but don't give up yet. I'll be back in a few hours."

Ranma felt stunned. He stood there in the hallway outside Akane's door in a mild state of shock. She couldn't be dying. She just couldn't. He wouldn't let that happen!

Ranma didn't know how long he stood there like that, or how much longer he would have remained that way, if it wasn't for the gentle, motherly voice that brought him back to reality.

"I came as soon as I could, son."

Ranma turned and saw his mother standing before him.

Nodoka continued to speak while her son remained tongue-tied. "Tofu-sensei called and told me everything. But I want to hear it from you: how is Akane-chan?"

Ranma threw off his shock, grateful for the calm and steady presence of his mother.

"Not so great, Okaa-san."

Ranma opened Akane's door slowly, for once wishing his tomboy fiancée would spring up and pound him for entering without knocking. But she didn't. She was still lying in bed, a cold cloth on her head vainly attempting to keep her fever at bay. Her soft cries tore at his soul and even from the doorway her shivering was visible.

Nodoka rushed in with a mother's care, checking Akane's cold compress and blankets. She picked up the ice bowl, which was now a puddle of lukewarm water. "I'll be back with more ice. You stay by her side, son."

Ranma nodded. He didn't need to be told, but it was good to know his mother didn't think caring for Akane was un-manly.

He pulled up the desk chair so he could sit beside her. Akane was mumbling in her sleep again, her hand twitching as if reaching out for something, and Ranma could have sworn he heard her call his name. He grabbed her hand and held it in his own. "I'm right here, Akane." He spoke softly, hoping she could hear him. Her face visibly calmed and he felt the slightest squeeze from her hand.

"C'mon, Akane. You can pull through this." Ranma tried to suppress his anxiety, an emotion he was not used to dealing with. Things like this he couldn't defeat with his fists, making him feel restless and useless at the same time. He was a man of action, but here he was forced to wait on the sidelines while Akane did all the work. "Don't do this to me again, Akane. I can't go through Jusenkyou again. I can't – I won't lose you again."

"Son, I think it is time you told her, don't you?"

Ranma jumped at the sound of his mother's voice. He didn't even notice when she reentered. He tried to gather the usual excuses and insults of how Akane was too violent, too uncute, too tomboyish for him, but his voice caught in his throat. He always was a terrible liar, especially to his mother. The truth, they both knew, was that he loved Akane. Nodoka knew the faults of her to-be daughter-in-law, just as well as she knew the faults of her insensitive, stubborn, immature son. Akane and Ranma were two imperfect people, who could often rub each other the wrong way -- but when they didn't, they were perfect friends, companions, and more.

The phone rang, saving Ranma any further embarrassment as he ran to pick it up.

"Tendo Dojo."

Now, Nodoka knew ease-dropping to be a very unlady like act. She also knew that overhearing a conversation of her son's was only what any good mother would do. She perked her ears and listened to Ranma's voice.

"Did you find out what's wrong with her, sensei?"

There was a pause and then a loud cry of "WHAT?!" rang through the hall.

Another pause followed.

"Do you have the antidote?"

There was an additional pause. "I don't think so… uh, we had the same thing at breakfast and then we both had … the soup!"

Nodoka glanced out into the hallway to view her son. His battle aura had flared around him. She felt so proud to have such a manly son, though she was concerned as to why he was so upset.

"Just finish the antidote as soon as ya can, sensei." Nodoka could hear the phone slam. She went into the hallway to speak to her son.

He was already running toward the door and putting his shoes on.

"Ranma, where are you going?" she called out.

He was at the doorway, and he turned quickly to face his mother. "Akane's been poisoned. Tofu-sensei's bringing the antidote over."

"But where are you going?"

"I have business to settle in the Nekohanten." His voice was dangerously low. He turned to face his mother.

"Take care of Akane for me, Okaa-san."

Ranma ran off, leaving a very puzzled Nodoka behind.

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**A/N: Please REVIEW. This is my 1st Ranma fanfic! I'll even take negative comments! :-)**


	4. Confrontation at the Nekohanten

**Story Arc 1: "Byouki"  
Part 4: Confrontations at the Nekohanten**

Ranma burst into the Nekohanten, the door pushed so violently it came off its hinges.

The first person Ranma saw when he entered was Mousse. The Amazon failed to see him, of course. "Mousse! Where's Shampoo?!"

"Saotome." Mousse addressed a potted plant with a disgusted expression. "Aren't the free bowls of ramen Shampoo feeds you enough to satisfy your appetite? Must you plague me by coming here for more? Argh! Get off!"

"Cool it, duck-face," Ranma advised from his perch atop Mousse's head. "I got business with Shampoo and Cologne, not you."

"Curse you! Why won't you just marry Akane and get out of my life?!" Mousse produced a poleaxe from his sleeve and swiped half-heartedly at Ranma as he hopped off his head.

"You no make sense, Mousse. Airen no marry Akane. Airen marry Shampoo!" Shampoo came out of the kitchen carrying three steaming bowls. She set them before customers and turned to smile dazzlingly at Ranma.

Ranma returned Shampoo's smile with a deep scowl and blazing eyes. "I want the truth, Shampoo. Was it you, or that old hag, who poisoned Akane?"

Shampoo did her best to look innocent. "Shampoo not know what Airen talk about." Her voice was saccharine sweet.

Ranma stared Shampoo down. Eventually, the girl turned away in a huff, her arms crossed in front of her chest as she pouted. "Not know why Airen so upset. Should be happy violent obstacle girl not here. Now can be with Shampoo."

Ranma's face grew dark and his fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. He could tell from Shampoo's body language and her simple refusal to look him in the eye that his suspicions were right. It all made sense now. He felt like a trusting fool. It explained why Shampoo was so eager to make Akane soup, what Shampoo was doing in the kitchen during his meal that she didn't even make time to glomp him as usual, and how she, uncharacteristically, willingly sent him back on his way to his sick fiancée.

"I want you OUT of Japan. NOW," Ranma growled. There was a time when Ranma refused to hit women. By necessity that rule had slowly been bent over time. He still hated it when he was forced to fight them, but he would not stand for _anyone_ threatening Akane's life. If Shampoo pushed him, that rule was soon to be shattered.

Shampoo actually looked fearful for a moment. Cologne stepped out of the kitchen upon hearing the commotion. "What is the matter, son-in-law?"

Ranma glared heatedly at the matriarch of the Amazons. "Don't call me that, old ghoul. I don't want your great-granddaughter -- now or ever! A viper would be more trustworthy and less deadly!"

Shampoo started to quaver in a combination of anger and fear that her gambit had cost her everything. This was not how her plan was supposed to work! She knew Ranma and Akane were becoming close – too close – since Jusenkyo. She had realized it the moment Ranma screamed Akane's name over the girl's nearly dead form. Shampoo had felt desperate. She knew the main obstacle in obtaining Ranma was Akane, and yet if she attacked and challenged Akane formally, by Amazon or even Japanese custom, Ranma would not come to her. He would see her as a creature no better than Saffron if she ever injured Akane. The only solution she saw was to make Akane's death seem natural. Her sickness presented the perfect opportunity. But how was he able to detect the poison? No Japanese doctor knew of it…

Mousse's aura was glowing in protective rage. "How dare you come here and insult my Shampoo!" he yelled as he stepped between Ranma and the two female Amazons. Mousse's hands were lightning fast as knives and other sharp projectiles were launched from his sleeves towards Ranma. With an eerily calm and intense concentration, Ranma dodged each attack.

"Stay out of this, Mousse." Ranma's voice was uncharacteristically low and warning. There were no taunts or jokes, no over-confident smile as Ranma fluidly avoided each blow. The exchange ended as quickly as it began with an uppercut to Mousse's jaw. The visually challenged fighter fell unconscious on the restaurant floor.

Cologne rapped her staff on the floor hard before she spoke. "What is it that you accuse us of?" Cologne purposely avoided using any title for Ranma, lest she push his temper any further. Ranma's fury was not easily aroused, unlike most of the Nerima fighters whose explosive tempers were worn on their sleeve. Today, it was clear that Ranma was boiling under a tightly contained lid. She would have to play this game carefully.

Ranma took a deep breath. Perhaps the old ghoul did not know what was going on for once, but he doubted it. "Akane was sick and one of you poisoned the soup I brought her. Akane could have died – may still die – because of you!"

Everyone in the restaurant, who had sat silently to enjoy the show, spat out their soup promptly.

"Love potions and mind games are one thing, boy -- they make the chase interesting -- but poisons are an entirely different matter." Her voice was carefully orchestrated to sound insulted while her face remained impassive. However, she failed to hide the gleam in her eyes upon hearing of the Tendo girl's misfortune. As much as she admired Akane's fire and determination, she was standing in the way of getting Ranma's seed for the tribe.

Ranma watched the old ghoul closely for any sign that would betray her otherwise convincing words. The flash in her eyes and the miniscule raising of her right eyebrow were not missed to Ranma. More often than not, Saotome Ranma was completely oblivious to reading people's emotions -- but this was not a social visit. This was analyzing an opponent in battle. Cologne had taught him well and he could see she was pleased at his news.

Ranma's fists tightened.

Cologne noticed his chalk white knuckles and tried to speak reasonably. "How do you know it was us? You and she have many enemies."

Ranma's eyes blazed with impatience. "Cut the bull, Cologne. Tofu-sensei knows it was _fa-shao tong-ku _root."

Cologne's face instantly changed to sharp recognition. _Fa-shao tong-ku_ was one of the scared poisons of the Amazon tribe. The root only grew in a remote region on the Amazon lands. Odorless and tasteless, a few grains would incapacitate the victim with fever and agonizing pain before the end came. Its purpose was specific and tightly regulated: execution only for the worst criminals -- an honorless death as the victim, regardless of strength and battle skill, would be unable to challenge the ones who did it to her.

Cologne stole a quick glance at her great-granddaughter. Shampoo was trying her best to keep her head high and posture straight. Only her eyes betrayed her. They were filled with a panic-ridden guilt. If Shampoo had broken their tribal laws in this way … Cologne sighed. So much potential her great-granddaughter had. She was clever and strong, but too impetuous and driven by passion! It would prove to be her undoing.

Cologne, as crafty as any attorney, tired to find a loophole. "I don't know how you and that doctor learned of the _fa-shao tong-ku_ , but the diagnosis must be incorrect. The root is an untraceable poison. He is jumping to conclusions."

Ranma shook his head. "Enough games, Cologne! Tofu-sensei studied in China."

"So?" Cologne challenged, her voice sounding bored.

Ranma continued, unfazed. "He managed to save an Amazon's life and was shown the secret poisons they use in gratitude. Tofu recognized the extract in Akane's blood."

Shampoo spoke up, her voice defiant. "Shampoo no leave. Will not. Amazon Law and honor say I make you husband!"

Ranma's eyes blazed again. "What honor, Shampoo? Instead of calling out Akane in a fair fight, you poison her when she's already ill?!"

Shampoo bowed her head. Put so bluntly, she knew it was dishonorable, but part of her didn't care as long as she got Ranma as her husband.

"Shampoo, is this true?" her great-grandmother demanded. Her voice was even and cold.

"Is true, grandmother."

In a flash Cologne smacked her staff upon Shampoo's head. "You disgrace me and yourself."

She looked at Shampoo with a mixture of pity and anger. "The Laws are _not_ to be flaunted at your whim, least of all over the conquest of a male. Tricks with potions are perfectly acceptable, our sacred poisons: never."

Cologne sighed deeply. She was starting to feel her age. It was all over. After more than a year of struggles and mad adventures, the war was lost. In retrospect, she knew they had lost months before today. It was clear that Ranma would never fit in as an Amazon husband. A male as stubborn, independent and as egotistical as he would disturb the entire _wa, _the harmony, of the matriarchic society. The closest she could hope for was using Shampoo's body to bring his bloodline to strengthen the tribe. But it was clear his feelings were too strongly tied to the Tendo girl. At least now there was a legal excuse to give up this pointless chase and return to her seat on the Council.

Cologne glared at her great-granddaughter. "You knew the strict Laws on their use, and you knew the Laws on obtaining a husband. You have broken both."

"But great-grandmother -- Aiya!"

Shampoo's protests were silenced by a sharp rap on the head with Cologne's staff. "Be silent or leave."

Shampoo nodded humbly, staring at the floor with great fervor.

Cologne turned to Ranma and bowed. "By our Law, Shampoo has forfeited all rights to you as husband. She must return to China in shame."

Ranma stood with his mouth half open in shock. He never expected things to go this smoothly, and he had been looking forward to (and partially dreading) an all out fight with the Amazon matriarch. Suddenly, his entire Chinese mess was solved.

"Does Tofu-sensei have an antidote?" Cologne asked.

Ranma nodded, still feeling a bit shocked. "Yeah, uh, he was fixing one up. He said it'd be finished by tonight."

Cologne gave Ranma a weary smile. At least she wouldn't have to spend time and effort using her precious supplies to cure her great-granddaughter's conquering rival. Pride would only bend so far.

"Then she should be fine. Although not the fighter of my Shampoo, she has always behaved with the heart of an Amazon."

Ranma wasn't sure if that was an insult or a compliment, considering the behavior of the Amazons he knew, but he could tell Cologne meant it as praise. Ranma nodded in acknowledgement.

"Farewell, Saotome Ranma."

Ranma returned the bow and left the café. It was only then that he realized Cologne had ceased calling him 'son-in-law'.

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**A/N:Please REVIEW. This is my 1st Ranma fanfic! I'll even take negative comments! :-)**


	5. Baby Steps

**Story Arc 1: "Byouki"  
Part 5: Baby Steps**

Ranma returned to the Tendo home just as Tofu-sensei was walking out. Ranma grabbed him by the arm, eager, fearful and hopeful for news. "How is she?"

Tofu still looked serious, but the gravity and concern on his face from before were gone. "Better. She should be out of danger now. Why don't you see for yourself?"

Ranma didn't need any further invitation. Too anxious to even say thank you, he ran into the house.

Tofu shook his head, amused. "Ah, love," he muttered to himself.

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It was a week after the poisoned soup incident and life had returned to a relative norm in the Tendo household. If anything, life in Nerima was slightly calmer. Shampoo, Mousse and Cologne were away in China, and Ucchan's restaurant boomed with the Nekohanten out-of-business.

Ranma was on the roof of the house, gazing at the stars and trying to build up the courage to follow his mother's advice.

--- FLASHBACK ---

"You should tell her how you feel, son" she had told him after Tofu-sensei had left.

"I--I don't know what you're talking about, Okaa-san."

Nodoka turned a stern gaze on her only child. "Do not lie to your mother, Ranma. It is unmanly."

Ranma gulped hard, half expecting her to unsheathe her katana.

Nodoka continued. "I know you are unhappy that your father arranged your betrothal and is pushing you into marriage, but don't let your stubborn rebellion against him ruin the chance you have at love."

Nodoka paused to let her words sink in. "Answer me truthfully son, do you love her?"

Ranma's face paled. He felt trapped. Any positive answer and he'd be back in that monkey suit in front of a priest in no-time, but he couldn't lie to his mother or himself any longer.

Nodoka sensed and understood his hesitation. "I will not reveal your answer to your father, or Tendo-san, nor will I force you to fulfill your engagement," _'until you are both_ _ready'_ she thought.

Ranma looked his mother straight in the eye and answered truthfully. "I ...I…do." Ranma felt as if a huge weight upon his shoulders had been lifted, but a large burden still remained. "But she doesn't, well at least I don't think, that she…she…" Ranma felt at a loss for words. He hated talking about this stuff.

"Love you back?" Nodoka supplied for her son. Ranma nodded emphatically.

Nodoka smiled. "I have spoken privately with Akane, Ranma. And though I will not break her confidence in me, I think I can safely tell you that you are _very_ wrong in thinking that."

---- PRESENT ----

Ranma thought long and hard on his mother's words. If he really had a chance… he needed to talk to Akane. But telling the truth to his mother and telling the truth to Akane were two very different things.

Ranma heard a familiar shuffle behind him and turned his head. Akane was sitting next to him, dressed in a warm nightgown and bathrobe. "Couldn't sleep?" she asked him.

Ranma nodded. "What about you? It's pretty late to be up."

"Couldn't sleep either. Too many nightmares."

"Nightmares?"

Akane blushed, realizing she might have said too much. "I had a lot of bad dreams while I was sick. I don't want to repeat those again, ever."

"What kinda nightmares? The type where you show up to school in your boxers, or the real serious kind?"

"The serious kind." Her eyes looked troubled and Ranma desperately wanted to know what was bothering her.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Akane blushed and looked at the roof tiles. "You'd laugh at me."

Ranma smiled and shook his head. "Nah. I promise – unless it really _is_ funny."

Akane laughed and mock slapped him in the arm. "What kind of promise is that?"

"A truthful one!"

Akane shook her head, but she continued, her voice becoming soft. "I—I kept having nightmares – of all the times I almost lost you." She waited with baited breath to see Ranma's reaction. Would he laugh at her anyway, call her stupid, or would he truly understand?

Surprisingly, Ranma nodded as if he perfectly understood. "We've had a lot of close calls, haven't we?"

He took his gaze off the stars and looked at her. Akane's skin gleamed in the waning moonlight and it suddenly hit him what a precious thing he had before him. Despite her temper, and her toxic cooking and tomboyish ways, she was a friend who truly accepted him and his curse, who had constantly risked her life for his own, and had never let him down when he needed help.

And he had almost lost her, again.

He desperately wished he could find the right words. He needed to let her know how he felt before he was left without the chance.

"Akane?" he managed to get his voice working, but it scarcely came out a whisper.

"Yes?" she looked at him, sensing the seriousness and intensity of his mood.

"Sometimes I—I have the same nightmares, about you, that is." He could feel his cheeks blushing and hoped the lack of light hid his face. "Jusenkyou was hell and -- and I'll be damned before I let anything like that happen to you again!"

Akane fell speechless. Then she smiled -- one of her rare, beautiful and utterly cute smiles at him. She took his hand and squeezed it. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she pushed aside her fear and uncertainty and leaned her head against the side of his shoulder. He didn't attempt to pull away, or even tense up or tease her. Instead he brought a shaky arm around her shoulder. It was this action that gave her the extra courage needed to speak.

Her voice came out soft and slightly nervous, yet still firm. "Trust me; the feeling goes both ways, Ranma."

It wasn't an earth shattering declaration of love, but for the willful, insecure, parentally arranged couple, a whole new world opened as they watched the sun rise.

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End of Story Arc 1!

_A/N: Okay, a lot of you Ranma/Akane fans must be screaming at me for not actually having one of them come out and say it, but let's face it: even though we all know they love each other, it's going to take a while before they come out and say it. Things need to build, they need to slowly overcome their own insecurities of rejection and take things one step at a time their own pace. It's a slow and agonizing pace, (38 volumes and many fanfics later and this is it?!), but think about how willing you would be to fall in love when you've been engaged against your will to a stranger! Akane and Ranma constantly want to rebel against their parents' scheme at dictating their lives, and yet they find themselves in love, inflating their need to rebel and take control of their own lives. At the same time, they have the typical fear of rejection. In summary, don't yell at me that they didn't come out and say those three little words at the end of the story. That's for another time. All things come to s/he who waits. _

**Please REVIEW. This is my 1st Ranma fanfic! I'll even take negative comments! :-)**


	6. Enter the Demon

**Story Arc 2: "DEMON UNLEASHED"  
Part 1: Enter the demon**

Gosunkugi sat in his room, stroking the wooden box in his possession. He tingled with excitement. What a stroke of luck! Something had drawn him to pass the antique store's window that afternoon. Gosunkugi was an amateur in the dark arts and voodoo magic, but even he could sense the spiritual power radiating from the box.

With a knife he forced open the rusted lock. The lid popped with a high pitched creak. Inside laid two dusty scrolls and a tarnished silver medallion.

Gosunkugi reached for the medallion, entranced. The moment his fingertips brushed the metal there was an explosion of blue light. Instinctively Gosunkugi shielded his eyes with his arm. When he managed to open his eyes they met a surprising sight.

The medallion was gone and in its place stood a sinister figure. Gosunkugi could feel the darkness of the being's soul permeate the room. It was suffocating.

The creature turned to face the one who had released him. A boy, and a pathetic one at that. The creature turned his piercing gaze back on himself. Hestudiedhis weak form in disgust. His imprisonment had badly drained him. He would need to feed soon.

"Tell me, mortal. Are there any strong warriors nearby?"

Gosunkugi swallowed hard. He had hoped to unlock a talisman that would increase his powers, not unlock this, this thing! But, maybe he could turn this to his advantage. "Uh, y-yes…" he stammered. "There is a very strong martial artist who lives in town."

The demon's smile radiated hunger. "And this fighter's name?"

Gosunkugi felt paralyzed with fear, but somehow he managed to move his tongue to speak.

"S-saotome. Saotome Ranma."

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_**A/N: Please review. Both negative and positive comments greatly appreciated. I'm always eager to improve my stories.**_

_**I'm experimenting by having the story grouped together but with separate story arcs. I hope it isn't too confusing. I figured this would be easier than having separate stories and a bunch of sequels. I have three story arcs planned thus far. **_


	7. A Fateful Encounter

**Story Arc 2: "DEMON UNLEASHED" **

**Part 2: Fateful Encounter**

Nerima was abuzz with gossip. The Japanese town had seen more than its share of strange events, even before Saotome Ranma and his "friends" moved in, but this was by far the juiciest gossip they had in ages.

The crazy, violent Amazons of the Nekohanten were gone. Rumors ranged from Shampoo eloping with Mousse to alien abductions. The truth, grossly exaggerated and circulated by the few witnesses to the event was also spread across the town: Ranma had literally torn down the door to the Nekohanten, threatening the Amazons to vacate. According to the scuttlebutt, Shampoo, in her latest attempt to win over her "Airen", had almost killed Akane by poisoning her food.

Spurring on the rumor mill was the obvious change in Ranma and Akane's behavior. In the aftermath of the failed wedding and the disappearance of the Amazons, it was clear that the most volatile couple of Nerima were actually getting along. The loud cries of "Baka" and "Kawaii-kune!" were rarely heard, and when they were apologies soon followed. Neighbors openly gawked as Ranma walked along side Akane, as opposed to his usual position on the fence. It was no longer unusual to catch them laughing together or even sharing an occasional smile.

Ranma walked casually down the street next to Akane, his hands in his pocket. It was a beautiful autumn day and so far the couple had yet to have a major quarrel. Not that they didn't have _any_ quarrels – Due to the usual chaos that seemed to follow Ranma they had been late for school (again) that morning. Akane had, as usual, gotten upset with him. However, her temper did not explode out of control. She had simply given him a nasty glare and only a few heated words were exchanged. By lunch all was forgotten.

'Yup,' Ranma thought. 'Today is looking pretty good.'

Suddenly, dark clouds passed over the sky and a strong gust of wind hit Ranma square in the face. Ranma blinked. A stranger stood directly in front of them, blocking their path.

Ranma sighed. He should have known it was too good to last.

The young, darkly tanned man before them was completely bald. His feet were bare and the only clothes he wore were a black vest and thin, golden slacks. He seemed impervious to the autumn chill. The strangest feature about him, though, was his flat, broad nose. It was disproportionably large for his face, the nostrils overly wide.

"Saotome Ranma?" he asked. His silky voice was deep and dark, but there was a catch on the end of it that caused both Ranma and Akane to shiver.

"Uh, yeah, that's me." Ranma answered.

The man bowed in introduction. "I am called Kaimen."

Akane and Ranma returned the bow awkwardly, both sensing the need to be on guard. Inexplicably, Ranma felt the back of his skin crawl.

Akane starred at the man inquisitively. She heaved a sigh, knowing like clockwork the next words the stranger would speak.

Kaimen smiled and looked over Ranma as a housewife would peer into a butcher's shop. His amber eyes narrowed and seemed to bore right through him. "I challenge you to a duel," he declared.

Ranma stared at the guy as if he were insane. Could he possibly be serious? Kaimen was a whole foot shorter than Ranma and his frame was so skinny than Ranma could count his rips. From the boy's posture and stance it was obvious that he was untrained in the Art.

Ranma enjoyed a challenge, not beating up helpless strangers – no matter how creepy they were. "Listen, maybe you haven't heard, but I'm the best martial artist around and you'll just end up hurt."

Kaimen's face turned dark. "Fight me!" he demanded.

Ranma looked at Akane and shrugged. He handed his book bag to her.

"Ranma!"

"Don't worry, Akane. I'll go easy on him."

Akane sighed. That wasn't what she was worried about. Something about this guy felt horribly off.

Ranma took his typical relaxed fighter's stance. "Fine, come at me then."

Kaimen scowled. He needed Ranma to hit him, not the other way around. He would just have to provoke him.

Kaimen clumsily lunged and Ranma easily dodged. "C'mon, man. You're worse than Akane."

"Ranma!" Akane shouted.

Kaimen growled low in his throat. Ranma was merely playing with him and in his present state he was no match for the martial artist. Ranma avoided each attack with ease, while Kaimen felt the sweat trickle down his brow.

"I said I want you to fight me!"

Akane felt sympathetic for a moment. She understood how frustrating it was to spare with Ranma, an opponent who refused to fight back.

Kaimen backed off and watched the two young mortals before him. Although it appeared the girl was still fuming from Ranma's slight, he could read something else from both of their body languages. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the scents around him and smirked. The pheromones in the air confirmed his suspicions.

He feigned an attack at Ranma before turning at the last moment to lunge himself at the girl.

Akane had less than a second to react, but it was enough. She deflected his strike with her right arm and counterattacked with a hard kick to the stomach.

Kaimen was thrown by the force of her blow and landed hard on the pavement, winded. He never expected her to be able to fight back! She was nowhere near as fast as the boy, but the power in that kick tasted delicious, negating the pain he felt in his side.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" screamed Ranma as he jerked the prone Kaimen to his feet. He lifted him by the collar of his vest.

Kaimen's feet were no longer touching the ground as Ranma brought him to eye level.

'Excellent,' thought Kaimen. He could feel the strength of his opponent radiate with protective anger.

"Ranma," it was the girl's voice. She touched the boy's arm gently, trying to calm him down. "It's over. Let's go home."

Ranma let out a deep breath and was brought back to his senses. He dropped Kaimen roughly to the ground. "Don't touch my fiancée again," he warned. His voice was low, the threat unspoken yet clearly stated. Ranma turned his back on Kaimen and continued his way home with Akane by his side.

Kaimen smirked at the departing figures. He had gained much and tomorrow would bring another day.

_**

* * *

**_

_**A/N: Please review. Both negative and positive comments greatly appreciated. I'm always eager to improve my stories.**_


	8. The Calm Before the Storm

**Story Arc 2: "DEMON UNLEASHED"  
Part 3: The Calm Before the Storm**

After-school fights with Kaimen became a normal routine. Everyday he challenged Ranma. At first Ranma tried to get the boy to back down peacefully, but this only brought Kaimen to attack his fiancée instead.

Following their first encounter with Kaimen, a heated discussion between Akane and Ranma assumed. She was mad that Ranma interfered and wanted him to respect her abilities as a martial artist. Ranma, in turn, wanted to protect Akane. After much bickering, a compromise was reached: Ranma relented to let Akane handle future fights with Kaimen, on the condition that he would step in the moment he thought she needed help.

So, everyday Kaimen would leave the battlefield broken and bruised, care of Tendo Akane. Yet, he miraculously managed to return the next day refreshed and better than the day before. Kaimen was still below Ranma's level, but he was unmistakably improving by leaps and bounds. Within a week, his skinny figure expanded into sculpted, lean muscle. The strangest thing was that Kaimen's height was also increasing; he was now only a few centimeters shorter than Ranma.

Ranma watched the fight between Akane and Kaimen with intense concentration. He cringed as each blow missed Akane by a margin too close for his comfort. Being able to study Akane in action had shown him her exact flaws as a fighter. She really did have a lot of potential, but she also needed a lot of work. He recalled when Akane wore the enchanted battle dogi, which released the full potential of any martial artist. Akane had become so skilled that even Ranma couldn't lay a hand on her.

Kaimen feinted a kick to the right. At the last moment he brought his arm to the left and managed to hit on Akane in the face.

Ranma exploded. In a blur of motion he was in front of Kaimen, hitting the strange fighter repeatedly. Eerily, Kaimen made no move to defend himself. A smile shown through his broken lip.

"Stop, Ranma!" Akane grabbed her fiancée's arm. "I'm okay. Let him go."

Slowly, Ranma became aware of himself. He blinked and let go of Kaimen. Disjusted with himself, he turned around and ran.

Akane chased after him. "Ranma, wait!"

Ranma wanted to be alone, but at the same time he wanted to have Akane at his side. It was all very confusing. In the end, Ranma stopped to let Akane catch up with him.

Akane reached with Ranma, concern etched over her face. It was unlike Ranma to loose control like that, but at the same time she couldn't blame him. There had always been a creepy feeling she got from Kaimen, but now she was genuinely concerned. In the beginning she appreciated having someone she could actually spare with, as Ranma never took her seriously -- but the way Kaimen was growing and improving was inhuman. Worse, was that Kaimen had reached the point where she could hardly hold him off. At the rate he was improving, neither she nor Ranma would be able to lay a hand on him.

Ranma fumed as he walked. He couldn't decide who he was more upset with: Akane, Kaimen, or himself. He was mad at himself for losing control and not protecting Akane well enough, mad that Akane kept insisting to fight her own battles, and both mad and slightly alarmed over Kaimen. Ranma prided himself on his quick ability to master any form of martial arts, but Kaimen's rate didn't seem possible. Kaimen's eerie, masochistic grin filled his mind.

Akane could tell Ranma was upset. The brooding silence tugged at her.

"Ranma?"

"Yeah?" he answered, his voice gruff.

"You okay?"

He stopped and turned to look at her face. A small purple bruise was blooming on her right cheek. Akane's strength wasn't a problem; she could dish it out as easily as take it, but he knew it had to sting. She would sport that bruise for a while.

"I can't even protect you from that creepy Kaimen guy. Then I lost control and nearly beat him to death! How am I supposed to be okay?"

"You can't protect me from everything in the world, Ranma, and you shouldn't have to! I'm a martial artist, too."

"But you couldn't even avoid that hit today!"

"I know!" Akane shouted. Her face flushed with shame at the memory of it. She stared intently on the ground, unable to bring her eyes to look at his accusing ones. "That's why -- why I want you to train me."

"Eh?!"

Akane turned to look him straight in the eye. "You never spar with me seriously, Ranma. So how am I supposed to get any better?"

Ranma gulped. It made sense, but training Akane meant he would have to hit her. "I don't think I can do that," was his answer.

Akane turned away from him. Her fists were clenched. "Fine, Ranma! But you can't always be there to save me, you know. I need to be able to protect myself."

He hated the amount of sense she was making. Ranma put his hand on her shoulder, coaxing her to face him. "I'll think about it, alright?"

"Yes or no, Ranma," she replied, her voice leaving no room for compromise.

He stared at the bruise on her cheek. All those times he refused to spare with her, maybe, just maybe, if he had she would be without that bruise right now.

Akane was glaring at him, waiting for an answer. 'Even if I have to hit her, I could pull my punches', he thought. If it prevented her from being hurt worse in the future, he could live with himself. It would be worth it.

"Alright," he consented, afraid he'd regret it later. "I'll do it."

Her face instantly brightened. "You mean that?"

"Yeah, well you need it!" Ranma brought his hand out and started to count on his fingers. "You're slow as molasses, your defense is full of holes, your balance is all off--"

Akane interrupted his tirade with a light punch to his arm. "You don't have to rub it in!"

Ranma smiled mischievously at her, the tense mood from before evaporated. "You really are a tomboy, you know that?"

"You!" she swung her bag at him, knowing he would dodge it easily.

"See what I mean!"

"Baka!"

"Uncute!"

The words were playful and they both knew it. She spun around and stuck her tongue out at him. "I'll show you who's slow. Race you home!"

Ranma smiled. Might as well start training her now.

* * *

**_A/N: Please review. Both negative and positive comments greatly appreciated. I'm always eager to improve my stories. I read every review and constantly revise my work based on your input!_**


	9. Defeat

**Story Arc 2: "DEMON UNLEASHED"  
Part 4: Defeat**

Akane's purple-bruised left cheek did not go unnoticed to the rumor machine of Furinkan high school.

By lunch Akane was crowded by fellow students peppering her with questions. Trying to dispel some of the crazier theories that her classmates were spreading, Akane told them the full story. It was the type of outlandish tale Nerima inhabitants had begun to accept as common place. All but two students paid it no further mind.

Kuno handled the news by declaring he would "go forth and vanquish the vile villain who dared to mar the fair Akane's face".

However, Gosunkugi's already pale face turned to ash upon hearing the description of the mysterious challenger, Kaimen. In the past week he had convinced himself that the demon in the medallion was a bad dream. After listening to Akane's story, his bubble of denial burst. He had to do something. Attacking Ranma did not concern him in the least, but he would not stand by while this demon molested Akane.

The minute the bell rang to excuse class, Gosunkugi gathered his courage and approached Akane.

"Uh, A-akane?" he stuttered.

"Yes?" Akane answered. Her smile made his brain feel numb, but his task was an important one. "I-I need to talk with you," he choked out.

Akane glanced over at Ranma who simply shrugged. "No problem. I'll go on ahead."

"But Ranma--" Akane protested, knowing who he would encounter.

Ranma shot her one of his overconfident smirks. "No, Akane. Today I'm facing him. Alone."

Before she could protest further, Ranma left the room. Akane groaned in frustration. It was just like Ranma to try and tackle this problem by himself. At least she knew Ranma was more than a match for Kaimen. She pushed aside her worry for her fiancée by concentrating on Gosunkugi.

"You had something to tell me?" she asked.

Gosunkugi swallowed hard, unsure of how to begin. "Kaimen isn't human, but I do know what he is," he whispered.

Akane placed her hands on Gosunkugi's shoulder, encouraging him to continue. "Tell me!"

He nodded and continued, "He's a 5th dimension class demon."

Akane's eyes widened. Quickly, Gosunkugi recounted how he came across the medallion and unwittingly unleashed Kaimen.

As crazy as Gosunkugi was known to be, Akane believed him. Far stranger things had happened to her in the past two years. It wasn't a far stretch of the imagination to think of Kaimen as a demon. Sudden realization hit her.

"Oh no! Ranma went to fight him, alone!" Akane was about to bolt from the room when Gosunkugi grabbed her arm, holding her back.

"Y-you can't defeat a demon like that with martial arts!" he warned. Gosunkugi could hardly believe he had the courage to touch her arm. In other circumstances, he would have been on cloud nine.

Akane stopped, impatient to leave and help Ranma. "Then what will?" she demanded.

Gosunkugi pulled two scrolls out of his book bag. "These were written by the monk who managed to seal Kaimen," he explained. "It says the only way to destroy him is to use this exorcist scroll," Gosunkugi handed Akane the smaller of the two manuscripts as he continued to read. "All demons have a single place on their bodies where they are vulnerable. Place this on his weak spot and he will be destroyed. Anywhere else, though, and it won't work."

"Does it say where that spot is?"

Gosunkugi shook his head sadly. "The monk never found out, which was why he had to settle for sealing it."

Akane nodded. She knew what she had to do. "Thanks, Gosunkugi!" she called out, making a beeline for the exit.

"Wait! You're not going to fight him yourself, are you?"

Akane ran, ignoring Gosunkugi's protests.

She had to reach Ranma!

As Akane approached the usual encounter spot, she heard the sounds of battle above. She turned her gaze upward and found Ranma and Kaimen bouncing on the rooftops. Kaimen, who had only been at Akane's level the day before, was now holding his own against Ranma.

Akane could see that Ranma was trying to lead Kaimen away from the housing district. She chased after them on foot, but they were too fast for her to keep up and they were soon out of sight. Akane paused to think. Where could Ranma be leading him? She looked off into the direction they had been heading and smiled. There was still hope! Akane crossed her fingers and ran, praying her guess was right.

* * *

Ranma couldn't believe Kaimen's increase in skill, and he was glad he left Akane safely behind. Despite the creepy, skin-crawling feeling he got whenever he approached Kaimen, part of him was thrilled at the challenge. This was what Ranma lived for. 

The martial artist took in his surroundings, roughly pleased. Kaimen showed no regard for the safety of others in the area they fought. If anything, he seemed to take a sick pleasure by placing people at risk. After several close calls with innocent bystanders, Ranma knew he had to lead Kaimen away from Nerima, so he led him past the outskirts of town. It was a wooded, hilly area and one of Ranma's favorite training spots. The location was particularly useful as there were several streams and, even more importantly, a hot spring.

"So this is where our merry chase ends, ne?" asked Kaimen tauntingly.

Ranma frowned. Kaimen still looked fresh, whereas he was starting to feel a bit winded.

Ranma circled Kaimen, watching for any possible weaknesses. Kaimen looked displeased. He needed more power. For all of Ranma's impressive strength and skill, his fighting style did little to feed him. The martial artist preferred to rely more on speed than strength, and he controlled his blows to use only the necessary amount of force needed. Kaimen would have to provoke Ranma into attacking more recklessly.

"This fight is boring me, Ranma." He began, forcing a look of ennui on his face. "I should find someone else to play with." Kaimen grinned sinisterly. "Your little fiancée, perhaps?"

Ranma took the bait. "I told you, hands off Akane!"

"Who will stop me?" he taunted, and turned his back on Ranma pretending to make his way back to Nerima.

Ranma knew he was being goaded, but he no longer cared. Ranma attacked, holding nothing back. Kaimen made little to no effort to defend, purposely absorbing each blow.

The pain was luscious. He felt his power build to a climax. Kaimen roared and swatted his opponent aside.

Ranma stared in awe as Kaimen began to glow a dark gold as he transformed.

He stretched and lengthened to a monstrous seven feet in height. His ears grew to spiky points, small sharp fangs protruded from his mouth, and his fingertips extended into silver claws. His feet enlarged and mimicked his hands, toes forming into talons. There was something unmistakably canine in his appearance.

"What the hell are you?" Ranma asked in utter astonishment.

The thing that called himself Kaimen laughed. "Finally realized I'm not human, mortal?"

Kaimen flexed and stretched his muscles, feeling out his new form. He turned his amber eyes on Ranma and licked his lips.

"Uh oh," murmured Ranma as he dodged a lightning fast swipe from Kaimen.

'Time to pull out the ki energy attacks', Ranma thought. All of his other physical attacks had proved useless thus far.

"MOKO TAKABISHA!"

Kaimen's eyes widened as a blue sphere smashed directly into him and exploded in a brilliance of light.

Ranma stood several feet away, his breathing hard and his arms outstretched; his wrists were together, palms open.

When the explosion cleared, Ranma's jaw dropped. Kaimen stood before him without a single scratch.

'I'm in deep shit now,' Ranma thought. He was exhausted. He had spent the remainder of his strength on that final attack.

Kaimen smirked at Ranma and licked his lips again. "My thanks, mortal! You serve an energy demon well."

Ranma wanted to smack his head for his stupidity. All this time, he had been feeding him?!

"You and your Akane have helped restore me to my proper form," Kaimen continued, clearly gloating. "Until I regained my true form I was completely dependent on the energy of others. In this body, I can sustain myself by absorbing energy directly from the universe around me."

Kaimen looked down at Ranma as if staring at a bug on the sidewalk. "But you have outlived your usefulness, mortal. Farewell."

* * *

Akane ran and ran, ignoring the stitch in her side. Her mind was entirely focused on finding Ranma. A sickening dread lined the bottom of her stomach.

Akane could hear the sounds of combat. She was close! She climbed the steep hill with a renewed vigor and was stunned into place at the sight before her.

With his left arm alone, Kaimen held a struggling Ranma in his claws. Slowly Kaimen brought back his right arm, the palm flat and facing towards Ranma.

Akane watched in openmouthed horror as Kaimen unleashed the largest ki attack she had ever seen -- directly at Ranma. The light was so bright she has to avert her eyes and shield them with her arm. When next they opened, Ranma was no where to be seen. The demon sniffed the air around him and smiled, satisfied.

Akane stepped forward, her eyes searching in vain. "Where's Ranma?!" She shrieked at him. "What did you do to him, you demon!"

Kaimen smirked and leered at her. "Dead, of course. Disintegrated in my ki blast."

'NO!' Akane's mind screamed, but as she looked over the cliff edge she saw no sign of Ranma anywhere.

"You're lying! Ranma can't be dead."

"Child, his delicious scent is no more, and my nose can sense anyone's presence for miles."

Akane felt herself shake with a rage stronger than anything she had ever felt before. Heedless of her own safety, she charged him. Kaimen braced himself, but made no move to defend, letting her blows wash over him as he absorbed the kinetic energy behind each strike. One hit, however, caught him off guard; a flying kick struck him directly on the bridge of his nose.

Kaimen howled in pain and instinctively swiped a clawed hand at his attacker. Akane twisted and dodged, but she wasn't fast enough. His claws ripped through her school uniform and into her lower left side.

She fell to the forest floor, angry at herself for being injured this quickly into the fight. She wanted to beat that demon to a bloody pulp for what he did to Ranma, but at this rate she would achieve nothing but her own death. If Ranma couldn't beat him, how did she think she could?

She remembered her schoolyard fights with Kuno-sempai. Kuno was not defeated by her skills at the Art alone, but because he let his guard down around her. Kuno was vulnerable through his infatuation, but the demon held no such feelings for her.

Yet, there were other ways to make someone drop their guard, and now she knew his weakness.

The gash across her side wasn't deep, but it burned and bled fiercely just the same. She crawled away from him, purposely feigning a worse injury.

Kaimen stopped howling and began to step towards his prey. "Do you know how much that HURTS!" he bellowed.

Akane clutched her bleeding side and mumbled something he couldn't make out.

"What did you say, you disgusting piece of mortal flesh?!"

Akane repeated herself, but it was even softer than before.

Kaimen grabbed Akane by her shirt collar and shook her in front of him.

The girl who had been cowering before him moments before suddenly snapped her head to look directly in his eyes. Akane's face twisted in rage as she slapped a small scroll on his large broad nose.

Kaimen screamed. The wretched sound was a cacophony of pain only a demon could produce. He dropped Akane and clutched his tortured face. Akane's eyes were transfixed at the grotesque sight. His flawless, golden tan skin slowly turned a sickly grey as his body shriveled and warped into a skeleton before exploding into dust.

* * *

**_A/N: Please review. _**I have the next chapter done, but I'm not posting until I get at least one new review! **_Both negative and positive comments greatly appreciated. I'm always eager to improve my stories. I read every review and constantly revise my work based on your input!  
_**


	10. Yokata

**Story Arc 2: "DEMON UNLEASHED"  
Part 5: Yokata**

Akane stared at the dust pile in shock. She had beaten him. Ranma was, at least, avenged.

The thought brought tears to her eyes. She refused to believe it. He couldn't be dead!

Akane forced herself to her feet. The stinging pain at her side was forgotten; it could not match the pain in her heart.

Akane scrambled down the cliff, reaching for any possible hand and footholds. It was a clumsy decent, with more sliding than actually climbing, but before long she was at the bottom.

A wide stream lay before her. The current was swift, the water swollen from the autumn rains. A few feet before her, lying on the muddy bank, was a torn piece of red cloth.

With trembling hands she reached towards it and picked it up. She clutched it to her chest and her vision suddenly blurred with unshed tears. "RANMA!" she screamed as her tears, unbidden, leaked from her eyes.

* * *

Ranma awoke to find himself wet, in his female form, and sporting a killer headache. He was lying on the bank of the stream, his outer red shirt torn to pieces. Only his black undershirt and pants were intact. He tried to remember what happened. The last thing he recalled was being blasted off the side of the cliff by Keimen's ki blast. He sat up and cringed at the pain shooting from his left arm.

"Right, I tumbled off and fell into the stream...must have been carried me all the way out here."

Ranma stood up and took in his surroundings. He grinned. At least he knew exactly where he was.

"Hmm… there should be a hot spring right over there. Heh, then I can go back and take out that Kaimen."

Minutes later and thoroughly male, Ranma walked back towards the cliff. His steady pace was interrupted by a painfully familiar sound.

Akane. She had screamed his name and she was… crying?

Ranma ran, his heart thudding loudly in his chest. He stopped dead in his tracks once she entered his vision. Akane was talking to herself, clutching a piece of his torn shirt to her chest.

"Why do you always have to play the hero?" he heard her cry. "Now… now I'll never get the chance to say I'm sorry. T-to apologize for always losing my temper, for not listening…" Her voice broke and she took a deep breath, her body shaking. She punched the ground in frustration. "Dammit Ranma, I never got to say I love you."

Ranma was stunned into place. Did he really just hear her say that? She started to cry again and the sound snapped his mind back to reality.

"Akane, don't cry. I'm right here."

Akane whirled around. Her eyes were as big as saucers as she took in the sight of him. He was covered from head to tow in scrapes and bruises and his left arm hung limply at his side, but he was there; alive and standing right in front of her.

She ran to him and without thinking her arms circled around him, hugging him tightly. Tears of relief spilled from her eyes. "Yokata," she whispered.

Ranma let out a huge breath of relief. When he had heard her scream like that he had assumed the worst. As he held her safely in his arms everything in the world seemed perfect, until his injured arm began to protest the tight grip it was under. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her embrace.

Recalling herself, Akane stepped back, her face blushing. "You, uh, didn't hear what I was saying back there, did you?" she asked nervously.

Ranma's face flushed in remembrance. "Uhhh, well… yeah." He admitted, unsure of how to respond.

Akane looked away, feeling horribly embarrassed. A multitude of negative reactions from Ranma filled her head and terrified her.

Ranma gently put his hand on her face and forced her to look up at him. "Did you mean it?" he asked. His face was uncharacteristically serious and his eyes never wavered. He was neither mocking nor rejecting her.

Akane gulped. Then gulped again. She gave a quick nod, unable to vocalize it to his face. "D-did _you_ mean it at Jusenkyo?" she managed to ask back, her voice suddenly small.

Ranma's face faulted. He felt like a deer trapped in the headlights. Her soft brown eyes looked at him pleadingly. He took a deep breath. "I-I did, Akane. I really did."

They stood there, caught in a moment that changed their entire world.

Suddenly, Ranma's eyes bulged wide as he took in her ripped, bloodstained clothes for the first time.

"A-Akane! You're hurt!"

Instinctively, he forced her to sit down. With his good arm he pulled at her clothing to examine the wound.

"Ranma!" Her face turned crimson. Her emotions warred between feeling touched at his concern and wanting to slap him halfway across Nerima for his forwardness. She refrained from hitting him (barely) and settled for pulling his hand away and yanking her torn clothing back into place.

"I'm fine! It just looks worse than what it is, really!" Ranma gave her a hard look, knowing how stubborn she would deny it even if she was badly injured. He was just like her in that regard.

"Stop trying to be such a macho chick!"

"As if _you_ have the right to say anything! I can tell your arm is hurt far worse than my little scrape."

Ranma frowned. He had wrenched it badly during the fall, and he could tell from past experience that it was dislocated. It was nothing a trip to Tofu's couldn't cure, but the pain was acutely felt.

"Well, _I'm_ not the one bleeding!" he retorted, at a loss for anything better to say.

They sat there for a moment silently fuming until, suddenly, Akane laughed.

"What's so funny?" He demanded, trying not to be caught up in her golden laughter.

"_We_ are, baka." The insult carried no sting, only gentleness.

She stood up and offered Ranma a hand. He accepted it and studied her carefully. From her posture she didn't seem too badly hurt.

"You better be telling me the truth. If Kaimen's done anything I swear I'll rip him apart, twice."

Akane smiled. "Actually, I took care of him already." She answered proudly.

Ranma's mouth hung open in shock. "_You_ managed to defeat that energy demon?" he asked, his disbelief apparent.

"You're not the only one who knows martial arts, you know!"

"Yeah, but we both know you're not nearly strong or fast enough to take him down. How'd you do it?"

Akane felt stung at his words, but she knew the truth in them. She forcibly bit down the urge to yell at him. "Well, at first I tried fighting him head on," she confessed and pointed to her injury as evidence. "In the end I was lucky and tricked him with an exorcist scroll."

Ranma seemed only more upset and grabbed her arm. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"What was I supposed to do?! I thought you were dead. I didn't care what happened to me as long as I took him down with me."

She turned her face away from him, embarrassed by her own outburst.

Instead of being upset, Ranma simply sighed. He let go of her arm and rubbed the back of his head with his good hand. "I guess I can't blame you there. I was the same way when -- when things turned ugly at Jusenkyo."

Akane turned to face him. Gone was the cocky youth. Before her stood an awkward but handsome boy turned man.

Ranma stared at his iinazuke. Her hair and clothing were in disarray from the fight, but she still looked beautiful to him. She was no longer a girl-child who rashly lost her temper at the drop of a hat, but a young woman whose temper reflected her compassion and honor.

They were growing up.

She smiled at him, one of her rare, genuine smiles that could ever only be described as cute. She reached out and took her hand in his good one. "C'mon, Ranma. Let's go home."

End of Story Arc 2

* * *

_**A/N: **_

_Wondering why Kaimen didn't detect Ranma's scent anymore? When Ranma transformed to his girl body, his scent changed. Kaimen's overconfidence led him to believe the lack of Ranma's scent meant he was destroyed._

Preview for next Story Arc: Considering the past events and close calls, Ranma begins to take Akane's training seriously. Ukyo gets jealous of the extra time Ranma is spending with Akane, and steps up the efforts to win Ranma for himself! Life for Ranma grows more complicated as the fathers resume their plots to marry him to Akane. At the same time, Ukyo has gone to Nodoka demanding marriage to Ranma as the only way to amend honor over her swindled dowry! Will Ranma & Akane's new found love survive?

**_I hope you liked this second story arc. I always wanted the tables to be turned and have Akane save the day. It's kind of like a switch on vol. 38, with Akane facing the (apparent) death of Ranma. _**

_**Thanks to all the people who have reviewed. It was your input that has helped me improve, revise, and inspire me to continue.**_

**_That being said, please keep on REVIEWing! Both negative and positive comments greatly appreciated!_**


	11. Just Can't Win

**Story Arc 3: "Growing Pains"  
Part 1: Just can't win  
**By Luna12

Akane struggled to keep herself from bouncing around the dojo floor. She was ecstatic. Ranma was finally going to take her seriously! No more playing his annoying game of tag-the-speeding-fiancée. He had agreed to train her and, after their recent run-in with Kaimen the energy demon, Ranma was set on keeping his promise.

Akane watched her fiancée, eager to begin. She recalled the rush of speed and skill under her control when she wore the enchanted do-gi. If what that old monk said was true, she could be that good naturally if she trained hard enough. That knowledge gave her hope. She knew Ranma's life was an adventure, and a dangerous one at that. Trouble found him faster than Ryoga could get lost. It was this that became one of her main incentives to improve in the Art. Akane wanted to be there to watch his back and fight at his side, not stand on the sidelines as if wearing a "kidnap me" shirt to all of his opponents. More importantly, she refused to be a burden to him. All of his past comments that she got in his way when she tried to help stung more than any of his other insults combined. Unlike some of his other jeers, it was that one she couldn't outright dismiss.

Granted, she still managed to help him out in a bind. Besides the countless number of times she went out of her way to bring him hot water, and save him from his mother's insane intentions with a katana, she had risked her life multiple times just to come to his aid. She had dove into a giant Hiryuu Shouten Ha to retrieve the moxibustion map which held the key to returning Ranma to his original strength, entered Rink and Pink's poison garden to rescue Ranma, and while falling to the poison of a snake plant, had given the magic charm that would save her life to Ranma, so that he was saved instead.

Fresh in Akane's mind, however, were two most recent cases. In the battle against Saffron, she had turned off the phoenix water tap, successfully saving Ranma from being consumed, but in the process got herself deathly dehydrated. Even more recently was her battle with Kaimen. It was by a small margin and a stroke of luck she managed to defeat the demon, and she had come closer to death than she wanted to think about in Jusenkyo. How long would her luck hold? She refused to depend on something so fickle. She needed to rely on her own skills instead.

Akane remembered a time before Ranma company arrived in Nerima. Those were the days when she was undeniably the best fighter in town. She had competed and won martial arts tournaments throughout the Tokyo area. She easily faced off and defeated a horde of boys every morning. Now, she was a second-string amateur. Akane clenched her fists. She would change that.

Ranma watched his fiancée. He could feel Akane's barely contained excitement and sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. Although Akane had the strength and endurance to match most athletes, male or female, he felt terrified. What if he hurt her by mistake? Bruises and sore muscles from training he could accept, but what worried him was the possibility of using force beyond her limits, of causing undue pain or injury. Ranma forcibly pushed the thought out of his mind. He simply wasn't going to let that happen. Besides, there was a bigger issue to deal with: her temper. Akane was never one to take criticism well, least of all from him. If he was to help her, she needed to listen to him.

Ranma cleared his throat. "Lesson 1: Control." Akane nodded.

Ranma looked at the energetic girl and internally cringed at what he was about to do next. "Ya got the strength of a gorilla but you're just as clumsy and slow in defense." As expected, Akane's previous jubilant faced immediately turned to one of fury.

"RANMA!" she yelled, her fists balled and raised to strike.

Ranma simply waved his index finger in front of her face. "Whoa! There's your problem, see? You're useless if ya can't control your temper, Akane."

Akane reluctantly lowered her fist. She continued to glare at him, though.

"Your temper is your number one problem. Ya can't fight well if you're mad. It's how I beat Ryoga so easily."

Akane crossed her arms in front of her chest. "That doesn't mean you have to be rude."

"In the real world, opponents are gonna be rude. They get under your skin with words, they win half the battle."

Akane lowered her arms, the tension slowly releasing from her body. Ranma breathed a sigh of relief as he noted the fact. She was actually listening!

Ranma pulled a red marker out of his pocket. "Lesson 2: Speed. Your gorilla strength's nothin' if ya can't land a hit or block well."

Akane purposely ignored the gorilla comment and watched her sensei.

Ranma shifted the marker to his left hand and withdrew the cap. "I'm gonna come at ya, and ya better block."

Ranma smiled on one side of his mouth and struck like lightning. Akane's reflexes took over and blocked and deflected the oncoming marker. His attacks steadily increased in speed until he was performing the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken attack. Akane had seen him do it a hundred times, but was never actually victim to it until now. She continued her efforts to block, but she was now deflecting a fraction of his attacks. Each touch, though, was feather light.

Finished, Ranma stood back. Akane was breathing heavily, but tried not to show how much effort the exercise took out of her. Ranma circled Akane, studying her carefully.

"Well, not as bad as I thought you'd be, tomboy, but we got a lot of work ahead of us."

Akane wanted to wipe the smirk off his face, but his reprimand on temper control kept her in check.

Ranma led Akane over to the dojo's mirror. Akane gasped at the sight. Her gi was covered in tiny red pinpricks of ink. Only a few gaps of white remained from where she successfully managed to block some of her most vital areas.

An unprecedented feeling of despair threatened to overwhelm her. Was she that poor at the Art? She looked down at herself, frustrated and depressed. It was a bitter medicine to swallow.

Ranma read the expression on her face clearly and felt bad for her. "Oi, don't look so gloomy! I told ya that I'd train you, didn't I?"

Akane nodded, forcing her attention away from the massive amount of red on her gi. Akane's back immediately straightened into her characteristic never-give-up, die-hard attitude. She met his blue-grey eyes with a sparkling, brown determination that shown from her own.

"I'm ready when you are," she replied.

Ranma smiled. This was the Akane he loved.

-

At school, Ukyo watched the interactions between Ranma and Akane with worry. She didn't need the rumor mill to tell her that something was up between the two of them. It was obvious. After Shampoo's sudden departure, Ukyo was thrilled. With that Amazon hussy out of the way, surely Ranma would be hers. Yet, by the look of things…

Ukyo shook her head hard. Ranma choose Akane? She ruled _that_ thought out as impossible. Just because Ranma was suddenly spending all his time training Akane, and they weren't yelling at each as much, didn't mean anything - right? Still, she knew she needed to stake her claim as the proper fiancée before it was too late.

Just being the "good ol' pal" wasn't enough. She would have to be more forward. Poor Ranchan was probably confused, thinking of her mainly as a friend and not as a potential wife. She would fix that.

The bell rang.

It was now or never. Ukyo took a deep breath and approached Ranma. With a tap on the shoulder Ranma turned around. Suddenly, Ukyo threw her arms around his neck and forcibly brought her lips to meet his. Ranma was too stunned to react. He was actually kissing _Ukyo_!

Akane's battle aura glowed a bright red as she physically pushed the two apart. "What do you think you're doing!" she yelled, jutting her face straight into Ukyo's.

Ukyo smiled, her face still flushed from her imposed kiss. She turned her back to Akane, purposely ignoring the enraged girl. She looked at Ranma, whose entire body was rigid in shock.

Akane turned towards Ranma, who stood openmouthed like a stunned fish.

"RANMA!" she growled. Akane's yell brought him back to reality.

"Huh? Yeah, what?" Akane felt her barely contained self-control slip. "YOU—YOU—BAKA!" she screamed, swinging her book bag at him.

The first swing hit its target perfectly. Ranma ducked and dodged, clutching his throbbing head. "I didn't do nothin'! She just – just kissed me!"

"And you don't see anything wrong with that!" she yelled. Akane stopped swinging her bag at him. Her fists remained at her side, clenched and twitching. She tried as hard as she could to remember her training on temper control. '_But so help me_,' she thought, '_if he says anything stupid I'll make him wish he'd never been born!'_

Ranma knew he was on treacherous ground. One false step and he'd be airborne.

Ukyo smirked at the scene before her. After Akane's brutal treatment and a few more displays of affection on her part, Ranchan would - without a doubt - come to love her.

"And you!" Akane focused her energy away from Ranma to face her romantic rival. "What were you doing kissing _my_ fiancé?"

"He's not just yours, honey. Ranchan's also _my_ fiancé, remember?"

Akane boiled. It was bad enough when Shampoo would glomp and grope Ranma in front of her, but she had always assumed Ukyo was above all that. She rather liked the Okonomiyaki chef. There were times when they had walked and talked peacefully together, and Akane had gladly rescued her from Konatsu's stepsisters' trap in the woods_. (A/N: see vol . 35)_

Ukyo watched with a smile as Akane flushed with anger. "You're the one who always said you didn't want to be engaged to Ranma," she pointed out.

Akane felt at a loss of words to say. She had never admitted to anyone openly that she, in fact, welcomed the engagement - and had for some time. "I-I, well, that was then!"

"Sure…" Ukyo replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "And that's why you continue to hit him like a personal punching back, ne?"

Ranma felt the tension rise to a stifling level. "Uh, girls…"

Akane gave him a glare that made him flinch. It was a look that clearly told him to shut up and stay out, or else.

Ukyo noticed his reaction and felt pleased, but there was little more she could do now in front of Akane. She had already succeeded in more ways than she expected this afternoon. Ukyo stroked Ranma's arm.

"I'll see you later, sugar," she called out with a cute wave goodbye as she scampered out of the building.

Ranma felt Akane's aura burn and sizzle with a jealous rage. _'Uh oh'_, he thought.

Akane closed her eyes, counting silently in a desperate attempt to control her temper. As outraged as she was at the girl, Ukyo's words struck too close to home for her own comfort. '_I only hit Ranma when he deserves it… right?'_ She asked herself. Ukyo's words made her doubt herself. '_Am I really _unjustly_violent towards him?' _

Ranma closed his eyes, expecting Akane to send him flying through a brick wall, or smash his head with some painful object. Finding himself unharmed, he opened them. Akane was gone.

-

Tentatively, Ranma opened the dojo sliding doors. The whole house could hear Akane's demolishing efforts.

"Akane?"

**! CRACK !** She ignored him.

"Would ya please listen to me?"

**! SMASH !**

"Why should I?" she asked.

Her voice was a mixture of hurt pride and bruised heart. Even though their feelings were (finally) known to themselves and each other, neither of them had _directly_ told the other person those "three little words". She had assumed that now, at last, Ranma would stop the other girls from chasing him. The image of Ranma kissing Ukyo and letting her stroke his arm filled her mind. At least when Shampoo made her advances, he would eventually try to get of them. With Ukyo, he just stood there and took it. She didn't just feel angry; she felt betrayed. Akane tried to force the tears back, but despite her best efforts a single drop escaped to trail down her face.

**! CRACK !** Another cement block bit the dust.

Ranma felt exasperated. "This ain't gonna work if ya don't trust me!"

Akane turned to face him. "I trust you with my life, Ranma, and I've always trusted you to do the right thing. But when have you ever shown that you're trustworthy with women?"

Ranma groaned in frustration. He refused to admit she had him there. "I didn't ask for those girls to hang all over me, you know! It just… happens."

"It happens because you _let_ it happen! Do you know how many guys tried to pull stunts like that with _me_ before you arrived?"

It was a rhetorical question, but Ranma remembered the hordes of high school boys that would contest for a chance to win Akane on the school grounds.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? But I can't just hit girls to make them go away."

Akane stopped her destructive act to look him straight in the eye. "Are you in love with Ukyo?"

"I do love her," he answered on automatic. Akane's eyes grew wide and Ranma continued speaking as quickly as he could, "But as a brother! Well, sister I guess. Just 'cause I can turn into a girl doesn't mean I'm so mixed up as to fall for my old best friend, who I still think of as a guy!"

Akane's expression softened, but she still didn't look entirely convinced. "Then why did you call her cute?"

"Well, I'm not blind either."

**! SMACK !**

Akane stormed off, slamming the dojo door behind her. It broke and splintered upon impact.

Ranma rubbed his red-marked face, realizing all too late that his foot-in-the-mouth disease was having a major relapse today.

Ranma sighed. There was no use talking to her now until she cooled off for a bit.

The martial artist was used to his life being complicated, but sometimes he wished it would settle down and stay down. The Furinkan students weren't the only ones to notice a change in Ranma and Akane. Soun and Genma were bringing up marriage plans again, now that their children were getting along better. It was becoming more and more difficult to convince them to back off. Ranma's usual tirade of "That sexless, uncute tomboy!" when matrimony was brought up failed to come out of his mouth. Akane' usual "That pervert!" also went unheard. 

Ranma heard the undamaged, outside door to the dojo slide open. He turned around, hoping it was Akane coming back to hear him out.

The person he saw made Ranma's face fall.

"Ranchan!" Ukyo called out, her miniature travel grill and cooking supply bag was clutched in her hand.

Ranma could not believe his bad luck. Was he the gods' idea of some cosmic joke? If so, it was getting really old.

"Ucchan, now isn't exactly a good time."

Ukyo opened the bag. The scent of past mouth-watering Okonomiyaki assailed his senses. "Oh come now, Ranchan. I came all the way over so you could taste-test a new recipe. You won't let it go to waste, will you?"

Ranma's common sense told him to send her away. If Akane caught him, he was a dead man. Ranma's stomach, however, had other plans.

"I guess..." he consented.

Ukyo beamed and began to set up her grill and cook, babbling away about her latest recipe and how she knew he would love it. It was finished in no time and she placed it before him expectantly.

Once in front of him, Ranma wolfed it down as usual, but the anxiety in his gut took away half the taste.

"Uh, thanks Ucchan. It tasted great." The words were typical, but the tone sounded mechanic.

"What's wrong, honey?" She reached out and touched his hand. As casually as possible, he pulled it away.

Ranma took a deep breath. He knew he needed to settle things with Ukyo. He had put it off for far too long. He owed it to Akane.

Ranma looked Ukyo directly in the eye, not knowing how to begin. Something in his eyes, in his very posture, caused her flesh to goose bump and a lump to grow in her throat.

"Ucchan, you're my best friend, right?"

Ukyo nodded, suddenly terrified at what he might say next.

Ranma continued. "You know I care about ya a lot, right?"

They were words Ukyo had been dying to hear for over a year, but she knew they didn't mean what she wanted them to mean. She gave a small nod.

Ranma swallowed hard. "What I'm trying to say is, well, shouldn't you find some other guy to make Okonomiyaki for? You're a cute girl, you're a great cook, you could have any other guy ya want."

Ukyou found her voice. "Ranchan, don't you understand? I don't want just any guy. I want you!"

Ranma shook his head. This wasn't going well at all. He remembered Akane's hurt face, and it gave him the courage to continue. "You can't have me, Ucchan." The next three words were spoken softly, but with a firmness that carried them across the dojo. "I—I love Akane."

Ukyo's world shattered into a thousand pieces. She sat there, her face as white as a sheet. How could he love _her_? Akane, the violent, uncute, tomboy? Akane, the clumsy, cooking disaster? Akane, who always bailed him out of trouble. Akane, who never beat him up when he was down. She felt herself shake all over. This couldn't be happening. Akane, who had screamed and wailed about her arranged engagement, who never forced her affections on him, was the one to capture his heart?

Before Ukyo could pull herself together, the remnants of the dojo door burst open. Soun and Genma came dancing in the room, patting Ranma firmly on the back.

"That's my boy!" shouted Genma, glowing. "We heard everything, didn't we Tendo-kun?"

"We'll have the wedding at once, Saotome-kun!" cried Soun, tears of joy pouring down his face.

Ukyo couldn't stand it any longer. Her giant fighting spatula was in her hand and she shook with a scarcely controlled rage.

"You really are a BAKA!" she screamed and slammed the spatula on Ranma's head.

Ranma lay on the dojo floor, his head spinning. '_If it isn't a mallet it's a spatula.'_ He thought. '_I just can't win.'_

-

A/N: Please REVIEW. I need ideas for how Ranma will continue to train Akane. I'm trying to be original, but it's so hard after reading so much fanfic! I keep worrying that I'll use someone else's published idea without realizing it. Especially in the areas of balance and ki.

Oh, and even though I'm a Ranma Akane fan, I really admire Ukyo's character. Stay tuned: Ukyo won't give up on her Ranchan without a fight!


	12. Butterfly Wings

(WARNING! SOME W.A.F.F. AHEAD)

**Story Arc 3: "Growing Pains"  
Part 2: Butterfly Wings  
**By Luna12  
Last updated: 04 April 2005 

Ranma glared at his father, ready to punch the old man into the koi pond.

"Would ya stop saying that already, Pop? I ain't marryin' nobody!"

Nabiki waltzed into the room like the proverbial cat that had swallowed the canary. Or in this case, the businesswoman who had managed to capture Ranma Saotome confess his love for Akane on tape.

"Oh really, Ranma? Daddy made sure to pay me handsomely for this." She hit the play button in front of Ranma mockingly. His own words were thrown back in his face.

Ranma's face turned an unpleasant shade of red.

The familiar sounds of his mother entering the Tendo home distracted Ranma long enough to beat down the urge to strangle Nabiki.

Nodoka stepped into the living room, her katana strapped to her back as usual. "I came as soon as I heard the good news."

Ranma groaned. Things just kept getting worse and worse…

"Look, what I said doesn't matter," he announced, his frustration building. "**_If_** I marry Akane, it's something between me and her! It's _our_ decision, not yours!"

Nodoka saw the evident torment on her son's face and remembered the agreement they made a few weeks past. She knew he needed her help now.

She turned her gaze towards Soun and Genma. She gripped the handle of her katana firmly before staring into the eyes of her husband. "Is Ranma truly a 'man among men'?" she demanded.

Gemna gulped audibly. "Well, of course he is!" He eyed her katana wearingly.

"Then, as a man and not a boy, he has the right to postpone his marriage." She continued. "I'm not surprised, given our son's manliness, that he wants to enjoy his bachelorhood a while longer."

Soun and Genma screeched and shouted the importance of family honor, respecting elders and uniting the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts.

"Be reasonable, No-chan." Genma soothed. "The boy's already admitted he loves the girl. Why not let them marry now?"

Nodoka smiled in agreement. "I said _postpone_ dear, not cancel. Ranma _will_ marry Akane. In time." Her voice left no room for argument.

Soun and Genma hung their heads sadly and walked dejectedly back to their game of Shogi. They knew the battle was lost.

Ranma starred at his mother in awe. She patted his arm reassuringly. "So you finally told her?" she whispered, eager for news.

"Uh, well not really. I mean, I _think_ she knows…" He tried to remember everything he had said to her the past few days. He never had voiced it directly to her face.

Nodoka looked at her son sternly. She patted the handle to her katana absently. "I've bought you time, son. Don't make me regret my efforts."

Ranma gulped. "Hai, Okaa-san."

Nodoka gave her son an encouraging push towards the hallway. "I trust you to do the right thing."

* * *

Ranma stared at the English labeled duck with a mixture of dread and apprehension. He took a deep breath, and knocked on Akane's door.

"Who is it?" she asked. Her voice sounded strained.

"Uh, me. Can I come in?"

"Go away!" came the angry response.

Ranma felt a surge of frustration. He had just ticked off his best friend, barely escaped the wedding plans of their fathers, and the wrath of his mother. She _was _going to listen to him, dammit!

"Well, I'm comin' in anyway!" he announced stubbornly.

Ranma opened the door hesitantly, expecting barbells and other heavy objects to pummel him in the face. Instead, a slew of softer objects flew at him. Pillows and stuffed animals attacked. It took all of Ranma's amazing speed and agility to dodge them. Eventually, the barrage stopped.

"Akane"

**! SMACK !**

A paperback book slammed into Ranma's face before thudding to the floor.

"Kawaii-kune tomboy…" he muttered as he rubbed his sore face, at least grateful that she didn't throw anything too heavy or painful.

Akane crossed her arms in front of her chest, temporarily ceasing fire. "Hmrph. You deserved it." Akane sat up from her bed and straightened out her skirt.

"Well, what is it?" she demanded, trying to lace the words with her usual tone of anger and annoyance, but it came out hollow and plaintive.

Ranma felt his heart pang at the sight of her. Akane was trying to mask her hurt feelings with her temper, as usual, but he saw through the act. He twiddled his fingers nervously. Now that he was in her room, he didn't know what to say.

"So?" she challenged.

Ranma took a deep breath and hoped his foot stayed firmly on the ground and out of his mouth. "I, uh, wanted to talk."

Akane looked at him questionably, but didn't interrupt.

"You still mad at me?" he asked.

Akane turned away from him, not wanting him to see her face. "Yes. No. Not really. I'm just… just…" She swallowed, finding that she had trouble continuing. Her emotions were such a tangled web of confusion; she could hardly get her vocal cords to obey.

"You heard how I felt and –- and I thought that you…" she continued as her voice grew quiet, "loved me." She finished in a whisper. She turned to look at him, incensed. "But, after today, I saw I was wrong."

"Don't be stupid!" he shouted.

Akane threw her remaining throw pillow at him in retort, which bounced harmlessly off his face. She glared at him, daring him to respond.

Ranma couldn't believe it. How could she not know? After all he went through at Jusendo for her and the aftermath of Kaimen?

'_Well of course not, you dummy' _he thought to himself suddenly. '_She was barely conscious and fighting for her life in Jusendo. Ya always take it back when you get a chance, or you get caught kissing or hugging other girls. No wonder she's upset.' _

Akane was still not mollified. "Then why did you let Ukyo do that, if you're not in love with her?"

"Would you stop being so uncute! I am _not_ in love with Ucchan."

"So you're just stringing us all along!" she accused him.

"NO!" he denied immediately. "At least, I don't mean to."

Akane shook her head in disgust. "Do you even care about any of the girls you got engaged too?"

Ranma wanted to scream in frustration. Nothing he was saying was getting through to her.

"Well?" Akane pressed, starting to worry about his lack of response and masking that concern with anger. "Do you!"

"Hell yeah! That's the problem: I like a crazy, cute, tomboy who won't understand what I'm trying to tell her!" Ranma was hardly aware of what he uttered out until after he said it. His hand flew to cover his mouth in a tardily futile gesture. He had hardly planned to blurt out his feelings, least of all like that. As usual he had responded without thinking, and on cue his stupid foot launched inside his mouth.

Akane didn't know whether to process the insult or the underlined compliment. "What..?" she asked, needing to make sure she heard him correctly.

Ranma looked increasingly uncomfortable and shifted his weight from foot to foot. How could he take it back? Did he even want to take it back?

His silence only made Akane doubt her ears more. "You like me? But—-but why did you kiss Ukyo then?"

Ranma found his voice. "Look, I _never_ wanted to kiss Ucchan, okay? Jeeze, Akane." He ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated. "She came over " Akane's fist clenched threateningly. "and I talked it over with her and broke off the engagement."

Akane's eyes grew wide. "Y-you did?"

Ranma nodded. "Yup."

Akane began to tremble. A conglomerate of highly strung emotions throughout the day came to a head; anger, relief, sadness, surprise, hope, love, pain all came crashing down on her.

"Then, do you actually…?" Akane couldn't bring herself to finish the question. She was too anxious, nervous and afraid to hear his response. Her eyes bore into his, pleading silently.

"Love you?" he finished for her. His voice was low, but audible.

Akane gave a small nod.

Ranma felt his heart pounding frantically. The sound seemed deafening to his ears. He took a deep breath. He knew what was in his heart, so why was it so damn hard to say it? He turned his attention to his twiddling his fingers. "Yeah. I-I do."

Akane's eyes lit up. Cautiously, she moved her hand to gently caress his cheek and tilted his head to focus on her.

He saw the same love reflected in her eyes. Instinctively, Ranma leaned toward her face and she met him halfway. Their lips brushed as softly as butterfly wings, clumsy and tentative as first kisses tend to be, before deepening with a love more clearly expressed than words could manage. The outside world and its troubles melted away.

For now, it was only them.

* * *

Nabiki sat at the dinner table studying the change in her little sister. Just some time ago, Akane had come home without Ranma, as angry and upset as a hellcat in water. Yet now, she was positively glowing. To boot, Ranma seemed to be sharing that happy glow. Obviously, the Saotome boy had managed to make up with her little sister. 

Well, she might as well take advantage of their current disposition. People were always more willing to part with their yen in a happy mood. Nabiki turned to face Ranma, a familiar glint in her eye.

"So, Ranma…" she purred.

Ranma nearly choked on his rice. All his self preservation instincts were tingling.

His attention grabbed, Nabiki continued. "Remember the tape of you being so … candid earlier? It's up for sale." She patted her mini tape recorder for emphasis.

Ranma, amazingly, did not rise to the bait. He flushed and grumbled, "Whatever, Nabiki."

Nabiki hid her surprise with the control she had mastered over the years. She shrugged nonchalantly, as if Ranma's refusal meant nothing. She turned her attention towards Akane. "How much is a taped confession between Ukyo and Ranma worth to you?"

"Nabiki, selling that to Akane isn't very nice," scolded Kasumi gently.

Nabiki waved her hand in dismissal. "I'll give her the family discount. Unless she rather I sell it to someone else?"

Akane knew her sister was trying to goad her, ambiguously wording what happened to make it sound like Ranma had confessed his love to Ukyo instead of to her. Akane did not need to hear a recording to know that Ranma loved her, (at least not anymore). At the same time, she really did want to hear what was on the tape with her own ears, rather than Ranma's abbreviated version. If she didn't want to lose all her savings, though, she would have to play this carefully.

"It's probably a fake you doctored up, Nabiki. I'm definitely not paying for that!"

Nabiki frowned. "My own sister, accusing me of fraud?" She put on an award-winning performance of wounded feelings. If it had been anyone but Nabiki, Akane would have fallen for it.

Akane glared at Nabiki. "Play it first. If I like it, then I'll pay for a copy. How's that sound?"

Nabiki frowned. There was no guarantee of a profit in that, yet if she knew her little sister, she would pay handsomely to hear Ranma say he loved her. Heaven only knew the boy would never get the courage to say it to her face. She could risk a small loss in profit; she had already made a bundle giving copies of the tape to her father, Genma and Nodoka. The kids at school would pay even more.

Nabiki sighed, putting on an air of defeat. "Okay, sis. 100 yen now, 100 yen after it's played if you want to keep it."

Ranma started to squirm in his seat, feeling very uneasy. Even though he had finally gathered the courage to tell Akane, and most of the family had been witness to his earlier outburst, he didn't feel comfortable having it played again and again to the entire family.

"You don't really wanna hear that, do ya?" he asked Akane somewhat pleadingly.

Akane gave him a questioning look. "Is there any reason I shouldn't?" She challenged.

"I just—gah! Fine!" Ranma returned to munching on his dinner with determined bites.

Akane turned to Nabiki and placed a hundred yen note in her hand. "Okay then."

Ranma began to stare at his rice with intense concentration. There was no point in denying it, or snatching the tape away. It would only cause more trouble. '_Why, oh why did Akane have to have a heartless mercenary for a sister?' _he whined silently to himself._  
_  
Nabiki pressed the play button and waited for the show to begin. She expected Ranma to stutter and insult his way through rejecting it. She waited for Akane to go into shock and then explode when Ranma denied it and poked fun at her. Yet, as the tape played on and reached the crucial confession, none of the predictable reactions occurred. Ranma's face simply turned crimson, but he made no move to deny a word of it. Akane's face glowed and sported a gentle, happy smile.

Nabiki felt her patience wearing out. What was going on?

"Thanks, Nabiki," came Akane's genuine response.

Nabiki stared at her sister in shock. That was it?

"Oh my," was Kasumi's typical response as she smiled at Ranma and Akane. "How nice is it to have things out in the open."

"Well, daughter?" pressed Soun, grinning madly. "What do you have to say to that?"

Ranma tore his gaze off the rice to study Akane's reaction.

Akane's complexion gained a rosy hue and she began to study her napkin in detail. Ranma and she had discussed revealing things openly to their family, now that Nodoka was keeping the wedding bells at bay, but they didn't imagine that it would come out this way. She caught Ranma's eyes boring into her own. He was waiting anxiously for her response. For once, he wasn't looking smug.

The time for fierce and childish denials was over. "I…I love him, too." She replied. Her voice was soft but solid.

In an instant, Soun grabbed the engaged couple in a tight hug as twin streams of joy trickled down his chin.

"Daddy, please…" Akane tried in vain to calm her overly excited father. Ranma rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide the small smile that crept over the side of his face.

Nabiki shook aside her surprise and gave a Chesser cat grin. "Well, it's about time you two stopped pussyfooting the issue."

Soun managed to compose himself. "Well, then. What are you two waiting for? We'll have the marriage immediately!"

"WHAT!" cried Ranma and Akane in unison.

Akane didn't know how to respond. She loved Ranma. He loved her. She couldn't imagine a life without him; the very thought tore painfully at her soul. There was no one else she wanted to marry but the thought of matrimony at this stage made her more than a little ill at ease.

She looked at Ranma for support and to gauge his reaction. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were hard. "Okaa-san already made it clear that it's our decision when, Tendo-san."

Akane felt her heart race. He wasn't outright denying he wanted to marry her. He only wanted to decide when!

Soun sighed, knowing better than to push the issue. "Of course, my boy."

The doorbell sounded, interrupting the tense atmosphere. "I'll get it!" Akane offered, eager to avoid any more embarrassing situations.

"I'll join you!" Ranma chimed in, glad to have an excuse to leave the dinner table.

Ranma followed Akane as she opened the door. She stared at the visitor in shock. It was the last person she wanted to see today.

Akane heard Ranma's response behind her. "Oh shit."

* * *

A/N: Ba-ba-bum! Who could it be? Stay tuned and review so I can finish editing the next chapters. I take all flames & criticism and use it to improve! I'm trying hard to stay in-character.

If you couldn't tell, I'm trying to have Akane and Ranma mature a bit, (hopefully in a realistic and believable fashion). It was only a matter of time before they became secure enough in their feelings to have it out in the open. I always figured one of the main barriers was the pressure their parents put on them. With that out of the way (a bit), it's not too hard to imagine this happening.

I can't emphasize enough how much your review's mean to me. I have honestly taken them to heart and have edited and revised based on your input. THANKS and please continue to CRITIQUE!

Special Thanks to Sabrina-Neo for Beta-reading and Raknus for his helpful ideas.


	13. Culinary Challenge

**Story Arc 3: "Growing Pains"  
Part 3: Culinary Challenge**

Ranma felt horribly tempted to use the Saotome secret technique.

Akane stared openly at the figure in the doorway. The person had her hands on her hip in a clear gesture of determination and antagonism.

"Tendo Akane, I challenge you for the right to remain Ranma's fiancée." A wide grin spread on her face.

Akane was momentary stunned. She couldn't believe Ukyo's nerve. She was issuing a challenge at her house tonight, after stealing that kiss in school _and_ Ranma breaking off the engagement, no less.

"Do you accept? I wouldn't blame you for giving up, after all. It's clear _I'm_ going to win, hun."

Akane felt her temper boil to the surface. "Of course I accept!"

"Don't I get a say in this?" interrupted Ranma. "I'm a person, not a frickin' trophy you can win just like _that_!"

Akane's response was dead serious. "Neither am I, but that never stopped you from accepting challenges like that, did it?"

Ranma grunted. Why did she have to be right so often? "It's still ridiculous. Ucchan, why are you doing this?"

"You didn't think I'd give up on you without a fight, did you? I'm just going to show you who's the best fiancée: ME."

"Oh yeah?!" Akane huffed. "Fine. We'll settle this in the dojo now."

Ukyo gave Akane a smirk. "I never said it was a _martial_ arts match." Ukyo knew better than to face Akane in the battle arena, especially now with her being trained by Ranma. They were fairly equal in that realm and she wasn't taking any chances.

Akane looked at Ukyo in surprise. "Then what?"

"A _culinary_ arts match."

Akane's confidence vanished. She didn't think her cooking was nearly as bad as everyone made it out to be, but she knew she wasn't an equal to the Okonomiyaki chef.

Ranma was clearly upset. He thought he explained everything to Ukyo. He couldn't blame her for trying to fight it though, but this was completely unfair and he knew that she knew it. "Ukyo, you know that's unfair. Akane's cooking is worse than poison!"

"RANMA!"

**!! BOP !! **

"OW!" A large bump started to form on Ranma's head from Akane's fist.

"Your wisecracks aren't helping!" she yelled at him.

Ukyo smiled cunningly at Akane. "Of course it's fair. Ranma's fiancée needs to be able to cook." She turned her gaze on Ranma. "Don't you agree, Ranchan?"

Ranma gulped, knowing any response he gave would be a bad one. He loved food. There was no denying it. And sure, it'd be great if his fiancée could cook well, but that wasn't as important as other things. He could always live on takeout, if necessary. He had lived on far worse while training in China with his pop.

Akane looked grim, but determined. "Fine. Name your terms."

Ranma gave Ukyo a stern look. "They better be fair, Ukyo," he muttered, purposely not using his pet nickname for her. He was not at all happy with his best friend or the situation at hand. Akane was being set up to fail. Few foods ever turned out edible when the youngest Tendo was involved.

Ukyo heard the warning in Ranma's voice. She would have to handle this delicately and at least appear to give Akane a fair opportunity. "We meet tomorrow evening. Akane can choose the kitchen location she wants. We bring our own supplies and ingredients. Time limit of 45 minutes to prepare a meal of contestant's choice. Ranma's the judge."

"What?!" Ranma protested. "No way. I'm not getting in the middle of this!" He couldn't believe Ukyo was putting him in this situation. He was either bound to tick off his best friend, or alienate the girl he loved.

"Ranchan, you're the one we need to prove our cooking skills to. Anyone else's opinion doesn't matter." Ukyo explained logically.

Ranma sighed. She made sense, in a twisted sort of way.

Ukyo continued, understanding his sigh to mean reluctant agreement. "Whichever dish Ranma finishes and likes best wins. Vomiting, choking or other signs of distress over a dish will automatically disqualify the cook."

Akane frowned deeply at that condition. For some reason, Ranma was always pulling ridiculous theatrics when he ate her cooking.

"And one other thing," Ukyo resumed as she made eye contact with Ranma. "You have to be completely honest."

"I don't even wanna be a part of this!" he complained.

"Ranchan, please promise me you'll be honest." Ukyo's eyes bore into him. "Please?"

"Ugh. Alright. I promise."

Ukyo's smile seemed to light up the entire room. It made Akane feel sick. She was doomed. Ranma never liked her cooking. She desperately wished she had some Water of Life. It was the only time she could remember when everyone loved her cooking. _'Wait,' _she thought. _'There's one dish of mine Ranma ate and liked'_. She had a chance after all!

Akane gave a curt nod to Ukyo. "Tomorrow it is then. We'll use the kitchen here."

Ukyo's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Tomorrow." The chef turned and walked confidently away from the Tendo household.

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**!! CLANG !! **

The sound of pots and pans being roughly moved about resonated from the kitchen.

Ranma paced around his fiancée in worry. "Akane, this isn't gonna work. When you touch food, it turns to toxic waste!"

A pot flew towards his head. "If you're not going to help, **SHUT UP**!" she huffed. '_Can't he have a little more faith in me?_' she thought.

Annoyingly, he followed her around the kitchen. She was practicing to make gods-only-knew-what for tomorrow. He watched in horror at her attempt to chop vegetables. Slicing them wasn't the problem. It was that her efforts also cut up the wooden board underneath until there were as many pieces of wood as food.

"Well, I know what your problem is."

"I don't have a problem, Ranma."

He pointed. "The chopping board does."

Akane starred at the disfigured board and mess of vegetables in dismay. She exhaled in annoyance and brushed the massacred food in the trash.

"You have the same problem with the Art as you have with cooking, you know."

Akane turned to him, intrigued.

"You let your emotions get the better of ya. In the Art, it's your temper. Cooking, it's your over-enthusiasm. You get careless and don't pay attention."

Akane crossed her arms in irritation. _'He might be on to something though,'_ she thought.

A shriek sounded behind them.

"Kasumi! Are you alright?!"

The eldest Tendo daughter had a look of pure shock on her face. "Oh, oh yes. I just didn't expect to see, to see _this_."

Kasumi's perfect kitchen was a chaotic mess. Pots and pans were strewn everywhere, the trash can was overflowing with discarded attempts at a meal, and her cutting board was in shambles. Small pieces of vegetables had flown about from Akane's efforts and were splattered on the walls.

Akane looked at Kasumi humbly. "Oneechan, could you help teach me? I have the recipe, I just need some help."

Kasumi smiled weakly. "Of course, sister."

Ranma gladly left the kitchen, knowing he would only get in the way at this point. He couldn't rely on Akane making an edible meal, let alone one that could equal Ukyo's. He promised to be honest, so there was no way he could lie and say Akane's was the better dish. Ranma played the rules over in his mind again and again, looking for a loophole. Suddenly, he realized what it was; he had to choose the best meal, but nothing said he had to try _both_ of them. He could stop himself from eating Ukyo's food. It would require a lot of willpower, but he could do it. It wasn't a perfect plan, but it was something. Still, it would take more than willpower to stomach one of Akane's meals and not even show an iota of discomfort as he swallowed it down.

Kasumi stepped out of the kitchen, looking like she has just survived WWIII.

"So, uh, how's it going?" Ranma nervously asked her.

**!! CRASH !! !!BANG !! **

Kasumi cringed at each sound coming from her once immaculate kitchen.

Nabiki answered for her. "Sounds like you'll be marrying Ukyo, Ranma-kun!"

'_Not if I can help it'_, Ranma thought to himself.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ukyo approached the reconstructed Saotome home with a happy bounce in her step. She understood how much her Ranchan loved food. Soon as he realized marrying Akane meant a lifetime of eating her poison, he'd come to his senses.

There was only one other matter to settle first.

Ukyo knew she would win the cooking challenge, hands down. What she needed now was a little parental support. Ranma may _think_ he loved Akane, but with some nudging from his dear mother, that would soon change.

She knocked on the Saotome household door. Moments later Nodoka opened it. "Oh! Ukyo. What a pleasant surprise. You're not here to wreck the house again, are you?"

Her words were kindly joking, but there was a small tinge of worry behind them. Ukyo blushed at the shameful memory. "No! Uh, could I speak with you, Saotome-san?"

Nodoka smiled warmly at her. "Of course," she replied as she happily led her son's best friend to the living room table.

Genma sat next to his wife, looking slightly nervous, but said nothing. Ukyo sat across from them.

"Now, what is on your mind, dear?"

Ukyo took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Nodoka. "I want your blessing to marry Ranma. I'll make a good wife. We already get along, I'm a fine cook, I have my own restaurant, I even know martial arts --"

Nodoka cut off Ukyo's sales pitch with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I know how much you love my son, dear, but his marriage was arranged to the Tendo family since before he was born. Not only does Ranma love Akane, but it is a matter of family honor"

Ukyo was unfazed. "But this _i_s a matter of honor, Saotome-san. Your husband took my dowry and promised me to Ranma."

"Oh dear!" Nodoka put her hand on her cheek in evident dismay. Her eyes narrowed dangerously toward her husband.

**!! SPLASH !! **

A wet panda sat in her husband's place after "accidentally" spilling the content of his water glass. Genma held a sign in his paws: "Don't look at me. I'm just a panda."

Nodoka frowned and turned her attention back to Ukyo. What a dilemma!

"I sincerely apologize for my husband's wrongful transactions, but I believe I can make amends."

"Then you'll give your blessing?" Ukyo's voice was filled with hope.

Nodoka shook her head. "No, dear. The only engagement I recognize is with Tendo Akane. I will replace your dowry and, as your parents are not here, I will act as official matchmaker for you. Honor will be well satisfied."

Ukyo felt appalled. "I don't want some dowry or a different husband. I want and _love_ Ranma."

Nodoka reflected for a moment before answering. "Then there is only one other option."

Ukyo's face lifted. "Yes?"

"You can become Ranma's concubine. I'm certain my Ranma is manly enough to please two women. And oh, how nice it would be to have all those extra grandchildren!" Nodoka's face took on a dreamy look while Ukyo's face faulted. Was Nodoka serious? Still, it was better than not having Ranma at all…

Ukyo shook her head hard. What kind of life would that be, always knowing you were second-best? Besides, knowing Akane's jealous temper, Ranma wouldn't survive an agreement like that.

For a brief moment Ukyo caught herself wishing Shampoo's scheme had worked. Imagine: Akane gone forever. Ranma would have driven off the Amazons, and she could be there to comfort him in his lost. It would only be natural for him to eventually love her as she loved him, right?

Ukyo wanted to slap herself. Was she really that heartless as to want Akane dead? No, as much as she wanted Ranchan to herself, she didn't want to hurt her rival. She wasn't her friend, but Ukyo had to admit that underneath Akane's tomboy exterior and temper, she was a sweet, caring girl. She always came to Ranma's support, and when Ukyo needed it, even her own.

She pushed her worries out of the way. Even if Nodoka didn't support her, she was sure to win the cooking contest. Ranma's love of food would win him over, right?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Story Arc 3: "Growing Pains"**

**Part 4: Of Pepper and Problems**

Akane took deep steadying breaths. She could do this! She had to.

Thanks to the purchase of a stainless steel cutting board and much practice, Akane had learned to properly wash and chop vegetables.

She glanced down at her altered recipe list. No one was allowed to help her during the cooking process, but she was allowed to follow a recipe with Kasumi's detailed notes.

Peel onion.

Akane ignored the graceful and deft movements Ukyo was making in her preparation and concentrated on the task at hand.

Discard outside skin of onion.

Slice 1 eggplant, 1 yellow pepper, and remaining onion into bite sized pieces.

Chop 1 clove of garlic.

'_Now for the trickier parts_', she thought.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan.

Sauté garlic, onion, eggplant and yellow pepper. Once the onions become brown, STOP! (should take no longer than 5 minutes)

Unconsciously, the tip of Akane's tongue stuck out as she focused. At least she didn't have to worry about preparing any meat. Kasumi had wisely advised using a vegetarian curry recipe, instead of meat. It was too easy to cause food poisoning when seafood or meat was involved.

Place vegetables in pot

Akane breathed a sigh of relief. The complicated part was over. '_Now, for the seasoning'._

Add 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper on vegetables in pot

Akane tipped the properly measured salt into the pot and reached for the pepper. The lid was ajar; fine-grained pepper particles assailed her nose. Akane felt her nose twitch and itch and was helpless to stop what happened next: she sneezed, and half of the canister's contents went into the pot.

'_Oh no oh no ohnonononono!'_ She had been trying so hard, she couldn't mess it up now. She looked at the wall clock. She didn't have enough time to restart everything. She would just have to continue as is.

Add 3 cups of cold, clean water to pot

Simmer (a light boil) for 15 minutes

"Here you go, Ranchan!" Akane heard Ukyo gloat as she placed her culinary creation in front of Ranma. Akane forced herself to ignore her and watch the clock. _'Please let this work!'_

Add ¼ pound curry roux and stir lightly

"Finished!" Akane poured the curry into a bowl, anxious and terrified at the possible results.

The entire Tendo and Saotome family, who were there as witnesses, crowded around Ranma in anticipation. Nabiki was even recording it on film.

Ranma sniffed the tea in front of him cautiously. Akane had successfully been making tea for a few months now, but it never hurt to check. He took a cautious sip. It was fine.

Two plates were before Ranma, with each of their creators starring at him intently. He gulped. Ukyo's Okonomiyaki looked and smelled better than ever. He turned to look at Akane's bowl of curry. It smelled okay. Heck, it even looked okay. Just a slight bit darker than he was used to, but he didn't spot any burned bits of vegetables.

Ranma said his prayers and warily tasted Akane's curry. Whoa, was that spicy! But, it was actually okay. It wasn't toxic!

With large helpings of tea to quench his burning tongue, he managed to finish all of Akane's curry.

He looked at Akane, clearly impressed. "You actually made something decent, tomboy!" Everyone, including Akane, starred at Ranma in a state of shock.

"No way!" Ukyo cried out. She dipped a spoon into the leftovers in the pot and tried it for herself. She felt her throat close up in protest at the amount of pepper, but it wasn't half bad, really.

Still, it was no match for her masterpiece. "Try mine now, Ranma."

Ranma shook his head slowly. "I'm, uh, full Ucchan."

"You're NEVER full! What are you talking about?"

"The contest is over. I finished Akane's and I liked it."

"But-but you didn't even try mine!"

He looked at Ucchan guiltily. "I told ya I didn't want you to do this Ucchan, but you forced me into it. The only way to stay honest is to not try yours."

Ukyo stared at Ranma in shocked betrayal. Even though he insisted the rules be made somewhat fair for Akane, he never intended to give herself a fair shot. He had planned on not trying a single bite from the start. What kind of friend was that?

Ranma saw Ukyo shaking and reached out to comfort his friend. But she didn't want his pity.

"Don't touch me, you lying jerk!" Ukyo whipped the large battle spatula off her back and spun. Ranma dodged the razor edge as it cut viciously at him.

She attacked Ranma again and again, but each time he evaded it. "You were supposed to choose me! You said I was the cute one! You said she was.... Stop squirming and let me smash you like the insect you are!"

"Ucchan, I tried to tell ya—"

"Don't' you 'Ucchan' me!" Her face scrunched with rage. "You never even gave me a chance! Even if you don't love me, as a friend you should have given me a chance."

**!! SLAP !! **

Ranma felt his face burn from the impact and knew he deserved it. He shut up and started taking hits, carefully avoiding the spatula's edge.

Akane had stood aside long enough. Ranma was no longer trying to defend himself; he felt so remorseful that he was purposely letting her beat him.

Not expecting it, Akane effortlessly snuck from behind and knocked the battle spatula out of Ukyo's hand before firmly pinning the enraged girl's arms behind her back.

Ukyo struggled helplessly, kicking and squirming.

"Akane, let her go." Ranma's voice was lifeless.

Akane looked questionably at Ranma before complying. Ukyo whirled around to see her conquering rival gaze at her with anger and … pity?

Ukyo laughed bitterly. "You chose her. Why? After all the lies, after all the protests, after all the bruises, after all the free okonomiyaki, you chose her?"

Ranma couldn't bring his eyes to meet hers. He could only nod dumbly in response.

Ukyo straitened her posture, standing proud. She was through making a disgrace of herself for one day. She gathered her supplies silently and made her way to the door.

"I never want to speak to you again, Ranma."

"Ukyo!" Ranma grabbed her arm, desperate to keep her from running off. Ukyo violently pulled it away.

"I hate you," she whispered. The words stabbed Ranma's heart and froze him in place. He stood there dumbly as Ukyo walked out of his life.

Before, when she ran off after hitting him, he assumed she just needed some time to herself to cool off. It was how things worked with Akane. But Ukyo wasn't Akane. It was clear that she wouldn't just forgive and forget after venting her temper.

Ranma starred unrecognizably at the finished battleground. Akane's joy at having won, at a cooking contest of all things, evaporated as she saw his face. She touched Ranma's arm, trying to lend him some comfort. He gently pulled away from her contact. He didn't want to be comforted. He didn't feel he deserved it.

A tense and depressing silence filled the room, driving everyone other than Akane away from the room.

"She took it pretty hard, didn't she…" It wasn't a question.

"Dammit Akane! She was my best friend and now she hates me."

"Ranma, it's not your fault."

Ranma shook his head. "My damn Pop got me into this mess, but I'm the one who made it worse."

Akane didn't know how to respond to that. Secure in the knowledge that Ranma loved her, Akane finally was able to look objectively at the situation. She felt a brief moment of enlightenment. Ranma couldn't help leading his fiancées on for as long as he did. It wasn't that he was a playboy, or used them to fuel his ego like she originally thought. When it came down to it, he didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

"Ranma…"

"I just wanna be alone right now, 'Kane." Dejectedly, he walked back to his room, burdened by the knowledge that he had lost something irreplaceable.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ukyo stood outside her restaurant door in disbelief. She had lost. She had lost to Akane!?

It wasn't Akane's fault. As much as Ukyo wanted to blame her, she couldn't. She could, however, blame Ranma.

The small bell on the door chimed as Ukyo stepped in from outside.

Konatsu looked up from mopping the floor. He saw her face and knew the outcome. It couldn't be a defeat based on Akane's cooking skill, so it had to be because Ranma fought on Akane's side.

Ukyo's voice sounded distant. "He picked her. He didn't even try a single bite, or give me a chance. He betrayed me and picked _her_." Ukyo spat out the last word as if it were venom.

Konatsu stopped his mopping and turned to meet Ukyo in the eye. As easy as it would be to slander Ranma's name in a temporary effort to cheer her up, he knew that would not truly help his Ukyo-sama. She needed to see the truth or she would never heal and move past this moment.

"Ukyo-sama, Ranma didn't betray you."

"Of course he did, he—"

Konatsu interrupted, as if Ukyo had never spoken. "You hunted a childhood friend for 10 years for revenge instead of forgiving him, is that right?"

Ukyo starred at Konatsu, surprised by his steady and matter-of-fact tone. She found herself unable to block out his words, even though she wanted to. He was speaking the truth and she knew it. She gave a small nod in response.

"How many times did you go and manipulate his guilt so that you could be his wife?"

Ukyo's throat went dry. Why couldn't she shut out his light, tenor voice? She wanted to bolt out of the room and escape his words, but her body refused to obey her.

"He -- he promised he'd take care of me for the rest of his life!" she protested.

"You told me he made that promise when you were small children. He still thought you were a boy, is that right?"

Unspoken, but still asked, was another question: Could she really hold him to that?

Konatsu watched her reaction and continued. "You say he betrayed you. But haven't you betrayed him? You tricked Ranma into a haunted cave to break him up with Akane. You destroyed his mother's home. You even attacked and destroyed his wedding with explosives."

She wanted to plug her ears and scream. It wasn't really like that, was it? She loved Ranma. He was _supposed_ to be her fiancée. Maybe she had made some unfair attempts to win him over, but she wasn't the cruel, manipulating, selfish person Konatsu was describing… was she?

"I never did anything to hurt him!" She yelled in denial. "I'm not a horrible person," she whispered in an attempt to convince herself as much as Konatsu.

"Of course not, Ukyo-sama!" Konatsu felt like kicking himself. He tried to undo the damage he started. "You just made a few mistakes."

"He still betrayed me." Ukyo responded stubbornly.

"And _you_ have betrayed his friendship and trust many times, Ukyo-sama, but he has still remained your friend. Maybe…" Konatsu took a deep breath. "Maybe you shouldn't be so hard on him?"

Konatsu casually resumed his mopping while Ukyo stood silent in openmouthed shock. Unable to form a coherent response, she left for bed.

Konatsu watched her retreating figure, sadly knowing he could do nothing more to ease her pain.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ranma felt horrible. Ukyo was no longer going to school, and worse, she was refusing to talk to him. He felt like such a cad. He silently cursed his honorless, lying Pop. If it wasn't for him he wouldn't be stuck in this situation. On the other hand, he never would have met Akane either. Still, one good outcome didn't make up for all the other troubles he caused.

Akane walked beside Ranma, worried. He trudged along with his hands in his pockets, head drooped. She felt so helpless, watching Ranma suffer. He had irreparably hurt his oldest and dearest friend and he refused to accept any comfort or reprieve as he beat himself up for it.

Akane had to do something. It was tearing her up inside to see Ranma this way.

"Ranma?"

He looked up at her slowly. "Yeah?"

She grabbed his arm and led him to the side of a building. "I have something I need to do. It won't take long. Will you wait for me?"

"Why can't I come with? What ya up to?"

Akane gave him a small smile. "Just trust me, okay?"

Ranma looked at her, puzzled.

"Please?" she begged him, holding his hand tenderly.

Ranma's heart sped up from her touch. Usually he was upset when anyone tried to manipulate his feelings like that, but with Akane it was different. He knew he could trust her, and she rarely tried to push him into something he didn't want to do.

"Alright. Just don't take all day, will ya?"

Akane favored him with a smile and a peck on the cheek, (which turned Ranma's face red), before running off.

Akane stopped in front of the familiar sign. She took a deep breath, gathered her courage, pushed down her jealousy, and stepped inside Ucchan's restaurant.

It was early, before the dinner rush and after the school rush, and the restaurant was nearly empty. The bell on the door chimed, alerting Ukyo to Akane's presence.

Her first reaction, shock, was quickly replaced by rage to see Akane, her rival fiancée, walk in.

"Get out!" she shouted, throwing a barrage of her miniature spatulas at Akane. She may have accepted the fact that she lost Ranma, but that didn't mean she had to be pleasant to the girl who stole him away!

Ukyo watched in surprise as Akane deftly dodged and blocked the bombardment. Ranma had trained her well.

Out of ammunition, Ukyo gripped her giant spatula, ready to fight.

For a moment Akane didn't move; she simply looked at Ukyo with a strange, sad expression. "I need to talk with you."

"Well I don't want to talk with you."

Akane stubbornly stepped further inside and sat at the counter. "Well, too bad."

Ukyo glared at her. It didn't appear that Akane came here to gloat, at least. If anything, she looked nervous. "Ranma feels really bad about all this, Ukyo," she began.

"Well, he should!" she replied.

Akane gave Ukyo a reproachful look. "I came here to try to help him. He's your best friend, right? He never wanted to hurt your feelings Ukyo. Shouldn't you forgive him already? It's eating him up that you won't even talk to him!"

Ukyo felt a twang of guilt, but pushed it aside. "As if you're anyone to lecture _me_ about forgiveness and understanding. You, who jump on Ranma's case any opportunity you get!"

Akane felt her temper rise. She stubbornly tried to beat it back down. "I know I've messed up, Ukyo, but I always do forgive him in the end and there _are_ times when I apologize."

"Sure," Ukyo replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

It was the last straw for Akane. She stood up, ready to leave. "I don't know why I even bother! I'm here because I _love_ Ranma, Ukyo, and I can't bear to see him suffering because _you_ refuse to try and make up."

Ukyo stared at Akane in shock. Ranma had confessed that he loved Akane, but she never dared to think the feeling went both ways.

"B-But you always denied it before!"

"I didn't _always_ feel that way and--and for a long time I was scared and confused," Akane admitted softly. "How would you feel if your father decided to engage you to a complete stranger without even asking you?" Akane paused and turned away, a faraway look upon her face. "But I know what I feel now," she continued, her voice firm. "I would die for him, Ukyo."

Ukyo's eyes widened as the statement was delivered with the supreme confidence of someone who HAD died for Ranma, or had at least come very close.

Ukyo lowered her eyes, not wanting to see the sudden wave of determination and love that shown in her rival's. "Then maybe you can understand how I feel," she muttered.

Akane sat back down and tentatively touched Ukyo's hand. "I think I do. I'm so sorry, Ukyo."

It was too much raw emotion to bear. Ukyo, who had held in her rage, her heartache and despair for a full week, broke down into tears.

She didn't know how long she sat there crying as Akane, of all people, handed her a handkerchief and whispered words of comfort.

Eventually the tears ran out. Ukyo felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders. She blew her nose one last time and returned the kerchief to Akane. Her heart still ached, but she could tell it was healing.

Akane gave Ukyo a nervous smile. "Would you be willing to talk to him?"

Ukyo nodded. "Yeah… I really should."

Akane brightened and jumped out of her seat. She ran out the door and when she returned she was dragging a pig-tailed young man with her.

Ukyo crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I'm still mad at you," she warned, not willing to let him off the hook just yet.

Ranma nodded. "I'm sorry, Ukyo."

Ukyo sighed. He really did look miserable. "I know. Me too."

"Friends?" Ranma asked. His voice was a muddle of hope and doubt.

Ukyo smiled and stuck out her hand. "Friends," she replied. The chase was over, and even though she lost, she still had her Ranchan.

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End of Story Arc 3!

A/N:_ I got a genuine vegetarian Japanese curry recipe online. Hehe. So feel free to try it out. I hope this chapter came out the way I wanted it to, (with a bit of comedy and an in-character portrayal of Ukyo). I'm really bad at writing comedy, but I'm trying! I never imagined this chapter to have this much angst, it just happened. _

_I can't believe how much this story has grown. I started out with only "Byouki" in mind as a one-shot. Plot fragments of "Demon Unleashed" had been in my head for a long time, but I never imagined they would work together. Before long I kept having all these other ideas that wouldn't stop, and reviewers kept supplying me with even more! So, I can tell you that two more story arcs are on their way. Arc 4 will be short and highly comedic whereas Arc 5 will be an intense action/adventure. _

Thanks again to all who have reviewed and helped throughout!

**So, what was your favorite story arc? Least favorite? Which needs the most work/editing? PLEASE REVIEW!**


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